Tualatin city councilors unanimously voted to approve a new ordinance allowing food cart pods to operate within city limits, but they tabled relaxed requirements for smaller pods for further discussion.
“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,” said Council President Valerie Pratt at the Sept. 28 meeting.
Food carts are currently allowed to operate in various locations around Tualatin, but an ordinance passed in 2017 requires that “only one mobile food unit is allowed to be present at a site at any one time.”
The ordinance approved by councilors lifts prohibitions on multiple carts in an area, allowing pods to contain up to 20 carts before filing a conditional use permit. The code change was inspired by a 2025 “downtown identity study” in which survey takers said a downtown food cart pod was a “must-have.”
Food cart pods will be allowed in areas like downtown Tualatin and Bridgeport.
While liberating for food cart owners who want to operate in the same space, the new code defines anything with more than one cart as a “pod” and requires pods to have permanent amenities like restrooms, shade structures and minimum bike parking for patrons.
At its Aug. 19 meeting, the Tualatin Planning Commission batted around the idea of including a tiered system in the ordinance, which would strip some of the costly requirements (plumbing, covered seating) for pods consisting of fewer than five carts.
The ordinance, presented on Sept. 28, did not include a finalized outline for unique smaller-pod regulations, and Tualatin Senior Planner Erin Engman told councilors they could decide the fate of a tiered system at the meeting.
“The question before the council tonight is, and based off this public testimony, is to consider a smaller tier that may have less requirements,” Engman said.
Councilors discussed the implications of allowing smaller pods in the city, highlighting possible sanitary and operational concerns.
“I am sitting here conflicted about a smaller tier, and I worry about water, I worry about cleanliness,” Councilor Christen Sacco said.
Mayor Frank Bubenik suggested that city staff introduce the tiered system before the larger downtown pod as a “proof of concept” and said he was concerned a mega pod might not sustain itself if the city did not test the market first.
“In my mind the smaller pod is a proof of concept; test the market. See if there actually is a demand,” Bubenik said.
After discussion, the council moved to approve the ordinance without a tier for pods containing between two and four carts, reasoning that the code should be updated to allow for a large downtown food cart pod. The council motioned that a follow-up conversation concerning smaller pods would occur at a future work session.
The ordinance will take effect on Oct. 28, 2026.
