Food carts at Mt. Hood would be awesome

I dig Vista, and the snacks around the MHCC campus are nice, but it would be awesome to have a little more variety at the college. Not just variety, but higher quality. I’m thinking the perfect solution would be food carts.

Yes, I’m a little biased towards food carts because I live in Portland, but we do love them for a reason. Some of the most unique and delicious foods can be found in a cart on the street. They’re a quick and easy way to get high-quality food without having to go to a restaurant.

And if we can snag a cart, it should serve food that we can’t get at Vista. Maybe a Chinese cart or a vegan cart or a fried chicken cart (Oh man, my mouth is watering).

We already have more than enough crap-inducing options within a three-minute drive, and I think our school should promote higher quality food.

I know partnering with fast-food restaurants has become a popular venture among colleges. That would be one response to our food woes, but I think we have enough of that junk near by. We should be implementing healthier options at the college. I know that not all food carts are healthy, but they are certainly better than the chemical-laced “food” you’ll find at Taco Bell.

It would also be great publicity: How many colleges have food carts on campus? It would make Mt. Hood seem more fun and vibrant.

I am not saying that doing this would be easy. There are definitely some sticky rules in Gresham about where a food cart may be located. There isn’t anything in Gresham law that says we can have them at the college, but there’s nothing that says we can’t, either. Food carts can be allowed on institutions, and it can be argued that Mt. Hood is an institution.

Also, the Gresham City Council will soon consider new laws for food carts. Some of the revisions will apply towards fees, location standards, etc. The council will be reading new laws on Nov. 5 and hopes to enact them on Dec. 5. Hopefully the changes will make it easier to get food carts in Gresham, and find them a home on our campus.

If so, just where would they go? Most customers find them in parking lots or on street corners, and we don’t really have extra space in those departments. But who says they have to be in a parking lot? I’m sure we can find a place on campus for them. A great spot would be near the Student Union and its seating section outside. Maybe we could even find them a home in the Vista (I know there is plenty of room there).

If we could make these allowances, I know that food cart owners would be more than happy to get situated here.

Making a successful cart is hard. If you’re outside of Portland, people are more wary of your food quality. And if you’re in Portland, you are going to have one hell of a time standing out from the vast sea of competitors.

In a prime location such as a community college, operators would gladly hand over a percentage of the profits because they would make so much more money than roughing it in the street.

C’mon, you know this sounds freaking sweet! How cool would it be to stop by a food cart between classes and grab a fresh, delicious meal that was handcrafted with love? We have to make this happen.