PORTLAND, Oregon — A popular food cart pod location has closed in Southeast Portland. Almost all of the food carts at Carts on Foster have left the lot and found a new spot elsewhere.
Neighbors said they’re concerned by the amount of businesses they see closing down and leaving the area.
"You know you get used to seeing it, it just, it still hurts every time," Izzy Perlingieri, a Southeast Portland resident said.
A few weeks ago, Carts on Foster was a popular area filled with food carts and picnic tables. Now, all that’s left is an abandoned grill, overturned bushes and three food carts that have not yet moved.
"Kind of feels like the beginning of the end," Perlingieri said.
Other Southeast Portland residents are also concerned about the closing of the location.
"I'm a little upset but obviously it must not be a great location," Romaine Harris said.
Harris said she will most miss Lorell’s Chicken Shack. A couple months ago, the owner of the food cart, Darrell Preston, was attacked outside the pod. His lawyer said a white man yelled racial slurs at Preston and beat him.
Along with Preston, neighbors said they will miss The Year of the Fish food cart. Its owner, Ed MacGregor, said he received a three-week notice that the property owners weren’t renewing the lease. He has reopened on Southeast 82nd Avenue.
Other food cart owners said they had no idea the pod was planning to close.
"We had no notice whatsoever,” Fadhaa Alkhafagi, who owns Shawarma Station said.
She said her business lost money and food when Carts on Foster closed abruptly. They didn’t realize the lot was closing until picnic tables started to be cleared away.
"It was really hard,” Alkhafagi said. “Because we were surprised at Foster, we did not know that they were closing."
The Shawarma Station and Monster Mac both opened their restaurants downtown at the Midtown Beer Garden.
Despite many of the carts finding new locations, neighbors are concerned with what will happen to the empty lot.
"It's hard to tell with an area like this what will happen," Perlingieri said.