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Introducing…New People at PPP!

by Marketing

Howdy folks! I just joined Portland Pedal Power as the new Marketing Specialist, and I couldn’t be more excited to be working with the fabulous team here. So far I’ve toured the town on the big bikes, attended a Sundown Concert with Ecotrust, visited the new exhibit at the Portland Art Museum with some of our team, and have met with several of our great sponsors and partners. I’m excited to help grow social media, strengthen partnerships, and further develop our marketing strategy. The amazing Peter Wang also just joined the team as the new Vendor Relations Manager, and we took a moment to interview each other. This is the magic that happened:

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Peter being techy in the shop.

MD: So Peter, tell me why you are an amazing person.
PW: I am not so much an amazing person. I am just amazed a lot.

MD: Are you excited about joining the PPP team?
PW: Yeah, I mean, I get to ride bikes and get paid for it. It’s like a reverse gym membership.

MD: What background do you bring to Portland Pedal Power?
PW: I graduated from Oregon State University with a business degree, but I am also interested in tech stuff like the cloud and user experience. I’m halfway between computer nerd and business bro.

MD: So you call yourself a nerd. What’s the nerdiest thing about you?
PW: I play StarCraft. I know the characters and I am sad that they are concluding the story after 17 years this winter. On the other hand, I did get into beta fairly quickly. I have that going for me, I guess. One thing to be sure, though, is that a part of me will never be the same once the Legacy of the Void (the final part of the story) ends. That’s the day I will have to carry on my own journey without the Protoss fighting along with me. En taro Tassadar!
(Maria blinks uncomprehendingly)

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Don’t worry, I always wear a helmet.

PW: Maria, let’s start with a story. What was it like riding the big bike in high heels?
MD: Well here’s the thing, biking in heels is easier than walking in heels, and even though the guys in the office raised their eyebrows, I did take the big bike out the first time with a new pair of wood heeled wedge pumps, and I looked FANTASTIC. Or at least, I felt like I did.

PW: I know the words wood, heeled, wedge, and pumps on their own, but I have no idea what they mean when they come together.
MD: That is the number one reason I am needed here at PPP.
(Peter blinks uncomprehendingly)

PW: What did you study and why did you choose your major?
MD: I was a Literature major at UC Santa Cruz and I chose it because I like to read and write things.  I then went on to get a graduate MFA degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Then somehow I ended up working in Marketing (which I dig). I still write stuff; I am working to finish a novel.

PW: What made you want to work for PPP?
MD: I come from a recent longtime marketing job working with urban planners and transportation nerds. I was a bikey person already but I got even more bikey working with them. I really like the idea of working for a bike-based business, I love the food in Portland, and I’m excited to engage more with the community. There are so many awesome partners and sponsors and restaurants and food carts working with Portland Pedal Power. So, this job really rests at the intersection of several of my passions.
(Peter and Maria end the interview abruptly to eat pizza)

***

Both of us are super excited to join the excellent group here at PPP. Say hi if you see us on the bikes or at the food carts!

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Five, Count ‘Em, Five PPP Bikes on the Road

by stacy

It is no secret that Portland Pedal Power is growing. More customers rely on us to bring them food, groceries, and other products. More restaurants, publications, food carts, and stores partner with us to deliver their wares. And more businesses sponsor our bikes to affirm their commitment to sustainability while spreading the word about what they do.

With all of this growth we need to keep building more of our Pyxis enclosures to keep up with the demand. And recently, we had a landmark day for PPP- we had enough orders to have five bikes and riders out on the streets of Portland at one time.

Why do we tout this achievement? (more…)

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Life is but a Picnic: Portland’s Picnic House

by stacy

When did you last get a chance to go on a picnic? Dress up in your fine Sunday clothes, perhaps you and your Significant Other find a nice grassy knoll to enjoy your well prepared meal. Unfortunately, in Oregon this is a luxury that we can seldom afford, unless you like rainy picnics and soggy sandwiches. Here’s where Portland’s Picnic House comes to the rescue.

Portland’s Picnic House is a restaurant inspired by the concept of having a picnic any day of the year. Their restaurant has been designed to replicate a picnic setting indoors to really give you the feel of enjoying your food anywhere you go. To further inset the picnic feel, their menu has been designed around the concept of delicious gourmet food that you can really take with you and enjoy anywhere, be it at your desk, outside, in their restaurant, or where ever.

So who better to deliver picnic foods than your very own bicycle food delivery service in Portland, Portland Pedal Power. Picnic House has chosen to team up with us to bring you delicious, enjoy everywhere foods, for your next big event, meeting, or any other catered event where you really want to wow people. So check out Picnic House’s menu on our website, or if you’re in the area stop in and get a ray of sunshine from the Portland Picnic House on Southwest Salmon downtown.

But don’t just take our word for it. Check out this cool video that our new video man Brook made for the Picnic House, and Portland Pedal Power. Expect more of these awesome videos from Brook too!

Picnic House from Portland Pedal Power on Vimeo.

For more vendor information, and cool around town events and openings follow our PPP blog or come check us out on Facebook!

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Delivery. The New Portland Pedal Power Video!

by stacy

Yup, I left the title straight forward because that’s all it should take! Get the Portland Pedal Power experience! Your favorite sustainable company for food delivery in Portland has a new promotional video that will give you some deeper insight into our business operations. Starring PPP rider Colin, we follow him in this video through a daily routine heading from the garage to the pick up site (Zupan’s), and all the way through to delivery. We like to think we’re a fun bunch, and Colin looks mighty handsome in that rider shirt!

Check it out and leave us a comment letting us know, “What a day in your life looks like”.

Delivery from Portland Pedal Power on Vimeo.

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Meet the Riders: Fitz!

by stacy

Dan Fitz, long time PPP rider and mechanic, shares some of the most intimate details of his life here with you in this short interview we conducted with him. We want you to know just who it is riding for your favorite food delivery service in Portland and just who is going to show up knocking at your door!

So without further ado, enjoy a Portland moment with Fitz!

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PPP now delivers dumplings from “The Dump Truck!”

by stacy

When thinking about Chinese food, there are few select favorite things that often come to mind; fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and dumplings. DUMPLINGS! Sorry, I just had to say it again and more exaggerated than the rest because we LOVE dumplings! So its fitting that the greatest food delivery service Portland has ever seen, now partners with that which we all hold so close to our hearts, our little dumplings! If you’re a dumpling fan like we are, you’re going to want to check out “The Dump Truck“!

Julia and Reid were both living and working in Beijing when they met in 2007. They were both huge dumpling fans, and Julia had developed a special connection to a man named Ma, who owned a dumpling restaurant near her apartment. Julia ate almost every meal there and eventually grew so close with Mr Ma that he showed her the secrets of making perfect dumplings.

When they left Beijing and came to Portland, Julia missed dumplings so much that they would often make them for dinner and sharing them with friends. Serendipitously one night, their friend Scott Simon, owner of the Karaoke bar, Voicebox, tried them and insisted they be added to his menu. Julia spent the next year making dumplings for Voicebox and crafting unique dumpling and sauce creations. She expanded her repertoire well beyond classic Chinese dumplings, experimenting with delicious and ridiculous variations, such as Thanksgiving Dinner dumplings, Chicken Wing dumplings and Apple Pie Dumplings. By the end of that first year, Reid and Julia could hardly keep up and decided to open a food cart to bring their dumplings to more Portlanders.

The Dump Truck’s dumplings have been attracting attention and Reid and Julia’s creations have been fortunate enough to be featured on Unique Eats, Eat Street, Food Paradise, and in SF Weekly, Toronto Star, Edmonton Journal, 饮食男女, and the Portland Chinese Times.

The Dump Truck has been going strong since 2010, but we still serve the same, great flavors Julia created with the inspiration of Mr Ma back in Beijing.

To order some Dump Truck dumplings, order online now at the Portland Pedal Power website! For more information on great vendors and Portland events, follow our blog or check us out on Facebook!

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Nossa Familia Brazilian Coffee is looking to settle down in the Pearl. Wanna Help?

by stacy

There are two things that we feel flow through the veins of all Portlanders, and Northwesterners for that matter. Can you guess what they are? If one of your guesses was beer, then you are certainly on the same page as we are. Can you guess the other one? We’ll give you a hint, some people like it the way they like their partners… (black and strong)

Okay, bad references and jokes aside, we’re talking coffee people! Many of us here in the Northwest live and breathe the stuff and, if you’re like us, you can’t function before noon without it. This would explain why the Northwest, and Portland in particular, is building a bit of a reputation for quality coffee, the glorification of barista artistry and frothy masterpieces (like a foam pikachus).

So for you coffee connoisseurs of Portland, you may have heard of your favorite delivery company’s (one of the best for food delivery Portland can offer) newest buds and addition to the Portland Pedal Power friends list, Nossa Familia. If you have heard of them, then you’ve likely heard of them as one of Portland’s top coffee wholesalers since 2005. Nossa Familia is owned and operated by Augosto Carneiro, who sells his family grown coffee from Brazil to local area businesses and grocery stores. Just a few months ago, they moved from beans to roasters when they switched locations back in December to NW 13th and Johnson where they began roasting using the sustainable, only one of its kind in Portland, Loring Roaster.

Now, to bring the chain around full circle and complete the full coffee cycle, Nossa Familia is looking to open their first retail location in the Pearl District. In order to open up this Brazilian espresso bar in the heart of the Pearl district, Augusto has begun a kickstarter account for his business, with which he hopes to raise $15,000, the final amount needed to open his little slice of Brazil. Currently the account stands at $12,425 with 5 days left to donate. With your help, there’s no doubt in our minds that he can reach and even exceed his goals.

Want the whole story? Want to know what makes this story different than other coffee companies? (more…)

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Cha Cha Cha! Fulfilling your craving for Mexican food the right way!

by stacy

Do you love Mexican food?  I don’t mean a late night munchy run to Taco Bell either. I mean real Mexican food!  The way that it’s supposed to be with salsa made from fresh tomatoes, tacos with naturally raised meats, and hand made whole flour or corn tortillas.  We at Portland Pedal Power certainly love good, healthy Mexican food.  As a matter of fact, we love it so much, we wanted to be able to bring great healthy Mexican food to you!  So we went out and teamed up with one of Portland’s best Southern Mexican Cuisine restaurants, Cha Cha Cha!  Cha Cha Cha uses natural and healthy ingredients to serve you wholesome delicious Portland approved cuisine from south of the border!  From using local ingredients, to their commitment to sustainability, to Javier’s mole’s commitment to bringing you great Mexican food, Cha Cha Cha is certainly Portland’s premier choice when it comes to fulfilling your Mexican food cravings!

Cha Cha Cha was created in an ongoing journey to bring the healthiest and most sustainable ingredients to your table, while keeping with the traditional cooking values that owner/chef Javier Hurtado was taught when he was a young boy in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  Cha serves authentic Mexican cuisine with an emphasis on organic and local ingredients striving to be modern yet traditional with an eclectic mix of dishes.

Javier Hurtado was born in Cuernavaca, Mexico (aka “Land of Eternal Spring”) located in the valley region just south of Mexico City. Both his mother and father came from a heritage both rich in agriculture, as well as food preparation. His family raised cattle and pigs, selling local meats and cheese when farming was a way to sustain life and livelihood.

From an early age, Javier learned the importance of raising meats organically and humanely, and shared his time between his father’s butcher shop and his mother’s restaurant, cultivating the craft of cooking and selling indigenous Mexican food. He has shared his gift of blending traditional Mexican food with culinary incite by creating the Cha! Cha! Cha! Mexican taquerias who offer traditional Mexican fare for busy Portlanders, who want healthy, timely, quality food.

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