A new Portland food cart pod is uplifting BIPOC and LGBTQI+ chefs

Last summer, a pair of Portland chefs had the vision to try to detoxify the food industry from the inside out. Jasper Shen and Linh Tran from the restaurant XLB had seen years of racial inequality, poor working conditions and harassment while coming up in the industry. But the pandemic gave the duo a chance to step back and reevaluate their roles in changing things for the better.

Along with partner Catie Hannigan, the trio started the restaurant resource group Win Win with a goal to create equitable and sustainable opportunities for BIPOC and LGBTQI+ food makers in Portland. And part of that vision included a food cart pod with a diverse array of chefs and cuisines. This month, that became a reality with Lil’ America, a Southeast Portland food cart pod created in conjunction with Dos Hermanos Bakery and Fracture Brewing, and curated by the team at Win Win.

The cart pod has both established and brand-new ventures for local chefs and offers amenities that you typically don’t find in other locations, like a walk-in fridge and dry storage for each cart.

“That was our No. 1 priority,” said Shen. “Every cart we’ve talked to, their biggest issue was storage because they’re literally in a space that is 12-by-6.”

Carts pay a monthly flat fee at Lil’ America, which includes rent, electricity, water, storage and sewer, which Shen says is way under the market rate.