Food cart and pod owners KGW spoke to say they’re worried about a limit on the number of carts per lot and rules about the distance carts must be from one another.
TIGARD, Ore. — Some food cart owners in Tigard are worried over new city ordinances they say are keeping them from growing their businesses.
Gregory Miller is the property manager of the Hudson Plaza off Pacific Highway in Tigard. He has three food carts on the lot now and had hoped to double that. However, the new regulations have put a stop to his expansion.
“We just have to have rules that make sense and that we can comply to,” Miller said.
Food cart and pod owners KGW spoke to said they are worried about development fees, a limit placed on the number of carts per lot, and rules about the distance carts need to be from one another. Some people shared their concerns during a city council meeting on Tuesday.
“We are just looking to talk to you so that we can move forward because all of us have spent a lot of money and we are in a pickle,” said one woman during the meeting, speaking to city council.
According to a city official, the updated food cart regulations were first approved in April 2024 and property owners who were impacted were notified at the time.
“The proposed ordinances were just to really set up some standards and guidelines for owners and developers to help navigate the design,” said Sambo Kirkman, the Tigard community development director.
The city recently passed amendments to clarify the rules. Food carts and pods that were established before Jan. 28, 2025 can keep operating, but new carts or owners looking to expand have to meet the updated criteria.
“These new regulations are making it even more challenging, adding yet another obstacle to our struggle to revive the businesses,” said a man during Tuesday’s meeting.
However, not all cart owners disagree with the changes.
“It means that more and more people are starting to get into the food cart business, and so they want to be able to keep their eye on it a little bit more, but at the same time, keep it safe for the environment which I feel is like a plus,” one pod owner told KGW.
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