BATTLE GROUND — Several times, Lanny Montero hoped to order lunch from the food cart in the parking lot of Value Giant hardware off East Main Street, only to learn it was closed.
The 66-year-old Battle Ground resident got his wish Tuesday shortly after noon. To his delight, Holy Smoke … It’s Big B’s BBQ, the city’s lone food cart, was open for business on the chilly, overcast day.
“You’re isolated out here essentially,” said Montero after ordering a brisket sandwich. “If you want to get good food at carts, which is fun, you have to go all the way to Portland, which is a 45-minute drive.”
Battle Ground residents may soon have more food cart options after the city’s council voted 5-2 Monday night to allow up to five food carts in the city at a given time. Previously, the city’s proposed regulations allowed for three food carts, which need permits and business licenses to operate.
The food cart ordinance came after officials received around 10 inquiries in the past 12 months about starting food carts, officials said. While Monday’s ordinance opens the possibility for additional food carts, Battle Ground officials were unsure whether Holy Smokes would soon have company.
“It’s not cheap to open a food cart,” said deputy mayor Phil Haberthur, who voted for the ordinance. “I’m in a wait-and-see mood to see who pulls permits.”
In addition to carts’ financial dynamics, vendors must also comply with city laws.
Carts must be connected to city water through food-grade hoses and used water must be adequately contained and disposed of at designated disposal sites. They must pass all restaurant inspections required by the county health department, as well as an inspection by the fire marshal. They also can’t operate in residential zones, on city property or within 100 feet of an established restaurant, per city law.
Holy Smoke … It’s Big B’s BBQ owner MaKayla Hopper applied for and received a one-year temporary-use permit to operate in the Value Giant lot. Her business opened in July and has been at the Value Giant lot since November.
Hopper chose to open her cart in Battle Ground due to the close bond she felt to the city following her husband Brian’s death in March 2010 and her desire to one day open a restaurant in the city.
A main focus of Monday’s council discussion about food carts focused on how they could harm restaurants’ business.
Restaurants actually have a harmful effect on food carts, Hopper said. For instance, she can’t accommodate families looking for a sit-down dining experience. She is considering putting a picnic table next to her cart during the summer, when there is more foot traffic near her cart.
The winter months, during which she is open Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, are slow compared to the summer. Her cart sells brisket and pulled pork sandwiches with sides of baked beans and coleslaw. It also sells ribs. Her Holy Smokes barbecue sauce will soon be on local store shelves.
Owning and operating a food cart is not easy, Hopper said. It isn’t cheap either, she said, echoing Haberthur’s sentiments.
Battle Ground’s lack of a downtown center would likely prevent an upswing in food carts, she predicted.
“I don’t see a big demand for Battle Ground because it’s a smaller community and the businesses won’t be there like they would be in a big city like Portland,” she said in reference to Portland’s downtown office buildings, which have workers in need of a quick lunch who help make food carts successful.
Hopper and her customer, Montero, agreed that the unique items sold at most food carts eliminated any head-to-head competition between carts and local restaurants.
In addition to Haberthur, Mayor Michael Ciraulo and council members William Ganley, Chris Regan and Lisa Walters approved the food cart resolution. Council members Alex Reinhold and Paul Zandamela opposed it.
Zandamela voted against the ordinance, he said, because he opposed the council limiting how many food carts could exist in Battle Ground.
“I don’t think it’s our job to play winners and losers,” he said. Reinhold did not return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.
You can learn more about Holy Smoke on its Facebook page, “HOLY SMOKE … It’s Big B’s BBQ!”
