Tualatin will allow food cart pods of up to 20 carts in its downtown and Bridgeport areas. The new ordinance, which takes effect Oct. 28, was unanimously approved by the City Council on Sept. 28, scrappinga 2017 ordinance that limited sites to a single cart.

The change could ripple into Tigard. Erick Sanchez, owner of La Real Taqueria on Pacific Highway, told Tualatin Life that he would consider relocating his cart to Tualatin if the pod plan passed. His cart currently neighbors two others in the parking lot of Hotpot Palace and BBQ, but the setup lacks the shared amenities a formal pod would provide.

The ordinance replaces a nine-year-old restriction requiring that "only one mobile food unit is allowed to be present at a site at any one time," Tualatin Life first reported. Under the new code, any grouping of more than one cart counts as a "pod." Pods can hold up to 20 carts before operators must file a conditional use permit. Every pod must provide permanent restrooms, shade structures and minimum bike parking.

"I think it would be great to move forward with this ordinance so we have it in the books and we can get that beautiful downtown food cart pod we all want," Council President Valerie Pratt said at the Sept. 28 meeting.

The code change grew out of a 2025 "downtown identity study" in which survey respondents called a food cart pod a "must-have." It also fits a broader push to reshape downtown Tualatin. Metro awarded the city a $740,000 planning grant, announced in July, to support Phase 3 of a revitalization project centered on the Lake at the Commons. That phase is scheduled to run through spring 2028.

Smaller pods tabled

The Tualatin Planning Commission had recommended a tiered system at its Aug. 19 meeting, voting 5-1 to send the plan to the council. The tier would have eased requirements for pods of two to four carts, allowing portable toilets instead of permanent plumbing.

The council adopted the ordinance without a separate tier for smaller pods and directed staff to return for discussion. Councilor Christen Sacco said she was "conflicted about a smaller tier" and worried about water and cleanliness. Mayor Frank Bubenik took a different view, suggesting a small pod could serve as a "proof of concept" to test demand before the city pursues a larger downtown pod.