Portland’s Food Truck Scene

Portland, Oregon will forever be beloved for our food cart pods. First appearing in the early 1900s with horse pulled carts selling food, Portlanders are die-hard food cart fans. Come heat, rain, or atmospheric river, you’ll find us ordering tacos, PBJs, donuts, pancakes, wings, noodles, and anything else that the chefs dream up. Check out the best food truck design around the city.

Viking Soul Food? (Heavy on the lefse, heavier on the Norwegian meatballs.) Yes, please. A naked Chip Wrecked Wrap? (Blackened chicken, crushed Doritos, and other sundries strapless and in a bowl.) Of course. Grits Gone Wild? Affirmative, and with extra shrimp!

 

A Quick History of Food Trucks

The earliest food trucks were Chuck Wagons, covered wagons for western loggers and cowboys to grab hot grub. (Some of these also operated at barbershops and dental surgeries, too!) They morphed into food wagons for college students in the 1890s.

And then along came the Wienermobile in the 1930s. Food on wheels with a nod to mobile advertising was born. Then came ice cream trucks in the 1950s with their cacophonous calliope music.

The last stop before the modern food truck came in the 1970s with a repurposed ice cream truck serving tacos out the windows. (Ever hear of King Taco in LA?

The modern food truck was born in the late 2000s. With a mishmash of mobile catering technology, social media, and a hunger for something new, street food got its wheels and we haven’t looked back since.

 

The 2 Vital Ingredients in Food Truck Design

There are two vital parts to gaining new fans: how it smells and how it looks. Let all those luscious cooking scents vent to the outside world and tantalize everyone’s taste buds. They’ll come flocking to your truck. 

But what if you’re selling ice cream? Most flavors don’t have smoky rib smoke or roasted veggies to do the hard work. (But then again it’s Portland and I’m sure someone has tried smokey rib with lavender ice cream somewhere along the way). 

So if you don’t have the smells, you have to have the colorful wrap around your truck. (Yes, massive bonus points if you have both the sight and the smells covered.)

The best food truck designs are flashy, sassy, and ooh so tempting.

We’d love to see what we can do for you. Learn more about our food cart branding here.

 

Here are a just a few food truck exterior designs we’ve created this past year for Portland and beyond:

Rabbit Food Revolution: Burgers, Wraps, Fried Street Food

Don Pedro Taqueria

The Coop: Smoked Meats & Plant-Based BBQ

Los Agaves Napa

 

A quick run through this gallery explains why when Portland food truck owners ask Siri for “Food truck designs near me,” Cascade Wraps is their number one vendor of choice. We loved partnering with all these classy food truck owners. And we’ve experienced some tasty treats in the process.