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As of 11 a.m. today, Portland Mercado’s outdoor food carts have reopened. Currently open for takeout and delivery only, the return of the Latin American Cuisine Pod will be welcome news for Foster Powell residents and beyond.
Mercado Cart has been closed since January 3 after an early morning fire ripped through the main market hall. The cart was located far enough away from the main building that it suffered no obvious damage, but the entire site was left without power and water.
Hacienda Community Development Corp., the nonprofit that operates the Mercado, said in a statement that utilities on the property have been reconnected and some carts began dispensing food Thursday night.
Related: Fire at Portland Mercado, all stores temporarily closed
“The market hall has sustained significant damage and will remain closed until further notice,” Hacienda CDC wrote. Mercado’s Barrio beer and wine shop and Chocotl juice bar next door remain closed, as does the commissary kitchen used by local food startups.
This casual customer likely knew Mercado as the dynamic corner pod located on SE Foster at SE 72nd. There, you can pick up delicious treats at carts like Oaxaca spot Tierra del Sol and Colombian carts, Queso Bacano, meet friends, take part in cultural festivals, and sometimes listen to live music. can. But Hacienda CDC also operates a cultural center and his BIPOC business incubator through this site and its market hall.
Immediately after the fire, Hacienda CDC established the Portland Mercado Fire Relief Fund to assist small businesses affected by damage and closures. They plan to close the fund on January 30th to distribute funds, but will continue to announce opportunities to help rebuild. Another GoFundMe donation for Barrio owner Chris Shimamoto topped $80,000. The beer and wine store appears to have been completely destroyed in the fire, and future plans are unclear. The goal of the fundraiser is to “help Chris get back on his feet and move on.”
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