Page 6 - Sustainable Life - December 19th 2013

SustainableLife
C6 SuStainablelife
Pamplin Media Group Thursday, December 19, 2013

Cargo container becomes Mexican eatery

Startup costs are
lower when building
is surplus property

By PETER KORN
Pamplin Media Group
When a customer asks Aprisa restaurant owner
Kirk Lance if he recycles,
Lance can honestly say, “Just look around.” And he
means everywhere.
The Mexican takeout opera- tion at Portland’s Southeast
Eighth Avenue near Division Street is a completely recycled
building, inhabiting what was PHOTO COURTESY OF KIRK LANCE
once an abandoned cargo con- tainer. It stands as testimony to The potential for reusing the retired shipping container seemed
brighter once windows were added.
the idea that done right, re-use can take the risk out of starting
a new business.
Fifteen years ago, Lance owned two Mexican restau-
rants in Casper, Wyo., strip malls. They eventually went PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP: JONATHAN HOUSE Aprisa’s Kirk Lance (left) and Pedro Garcia offer a take-out Mexican restaurant in a converted cargo
out of business, and Lance container parked near Southeast Eighth Avenue and Division Street.
moved to Portland and began working for food service com- up and set on boats, trains or tainer to keep it in place. New Expansion in the works
pany Sysco.
But the restaurateur bug truck beds. After nine or 10 years, they begin to deteriorate steel siding was used to wrap the entire container, and soy- “They say if you’ve made it past three years, you’re going to
never left him. He knew what and are discarded.
bean-based insulation was be OK,” Lance says. Due to a
he wanted next time — and what he didn’t want.
In a flash, Lance knew he wasn’t looking at hundreds of placed between the container and the siding. A full bathroom
steadily improving breakfast and lunch burrito trade from
“I wanted to avoid the pitfalls unneeded 40-feet-
was built in one workers at nearby businesses,
of opening in somebody else’s building,” he says.
long by eight-feet-
wide shipping corner of the con- tainer, with a sepa- Aprisa now has passed its fourth anniversary. In fact, “This has a
Leasing space and opening previous restaurants had com- containers.
“It hit me that rate outside en- trance.
Lance is going to open a second storage container Aprisa on an built-in exit
mitted him to hundreds of PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP: JONATHAN HOUSE there’s a recycled Best of all, undisclosed location on South- strategy.”
thousands of dollars up front, Lance says. Most of it went into Aprisa’s Pedro Garcia whips up a breakfast burrito inside the former
restaurant,” he says. “Every one Lance knew from the start that if the east 82nd Avenue within the next few months.
— Kirk Lance, Aprisa restaurant owner
shipping container.
building out space to turn it in- to restaurants, including add- of those is a recy- cled restaurant.”
location didn’t work out, all he
Another beneit to the storage container model, according to
ing specialized cooking and Lance, is it’s basically impervi- Transport would be easy — would have to do is cut the this neighborhood changes to using shipping containers for
dishwashing equipment. When the restaurants failed, it was all ous to ire. “If you really chart the carbon emissions, the high- the containers are built to be trucked anywhere and set welds, put his cargo container restaurant on a truck bed and where it doesn’t work here any- more, we’re going to move it small versions of its coffee shops. Lance igures they’d be great
money down the drain.
est emission potential is if the thing would ever burn,” he says. down. On Craigslist he found an abandoned parking lot in an move it somewhere else.
Lance can look a few blocks wherever.”
Spotting those abandoned for disaster relief — stacked up- on ships they could be rushed to
Inspiration
“There’s nothing to burn. industrial section of close-in away and see competition in storage containers allowed areas such as the Philippines,
Four years ago, Lance was driving on Interstate 5 near There’s no wood. It’s all steel.”
That also means no trees Southeast Portland. “It’s a hor- rible location,” he admits.
the form of a Jack in the Box and a Taco Bell, which he Lance to start his restaurant and, if need be, close it out with- which recently suffered a ty- phoon — and used for emergen-
Delta Park when he spotted were harvested for his struc- But he could try it, because knows cost a minimum of $1 out feeling guilty.
cy housing. Furnishings and
hundreds of stacked shipping containers. A little research ture, Lance adds.
He’s done research and his investment was minimal for a new restaurant. It cost million each to build. Not only can most of his investment “What really happens in life is people have an idea and they are emergency food and water sup- plies would just be packed in-
revealed that abandoned ship- ping containers like these learned that in Europe an entire apartment building has been Lance $2,500 for the container. It cost him a little less than travel with him, but he even had his lease written to include excited to go into business,” he says. “And they ind out it’s not side each container.
As far as Lance is concerned,
were proliferating all across built out of abandoned storage $150,000 to get his restaurant an inexpensive exit clause if for them for whatever reason. portability trumps even recy-
the country. They’re built to bring goods to the United containers just like his, stacked one on top of another. Starbucks up and running.
A steel plate anchored into the restaurant doesn’t work.
Fortunately for Lance, that And they very infrequently have an exit strategy. This has a built- lability. “If this restaurant doesn’t work, it’s not going to
States, and are easily picked
recently has experimented with
concrete is welded into the con-
hasn’t been necessary.
in exit strategy.”
be knocked down,” he says. “If

EAST COUNTY BUSINESSES: LEADERS IN SUSTAINABILITY

Have a Waste-Free Holiday Event

‘Tis the season to celebrate and whether you’re hosting a small gathering or coordinating a large- metropolitan area taking part in this efort. Call 503-725-8447 or visit forkitover.org.
Tips
scale celebration these tips will help keep the Serve inger foods that don’t
holiday extra green this year.
Additionally, a number of local businesses participate in the City’s Gresham Composts require silverware or plates.
Work with a sustainable vendor or caterer
program, ensuring that leftover food, prep waste Clearly label collection containers for
Selecting a caterer who is saving energy, recycling and plate scrapings don’t end up in landills but recyclables, compostables and garbage.
and preventing pollution as part of his everyday are composted and reused. For more information visit GreshamOregon.gov/GreshamComposts.
Send invitations by email rather than relying on printed materials.
work starts your event of right. Ask the caterer how he reduces waste or if he has certiication Provide incentives for invitees
from a program such as the City of Gresham’s More information
to use public transportation.
GREAT Businesses program.
If you’d like more information about how to hold a waste-free event this holiday season, contact
Use reusable materials vs. disposable materials
the GREAT Business program at 503-618-2203
Reduce waste at events that involve food and or GREATBiz@GreshamOregon.gov.
beverages by using washable plates, cups, glasses and cutlery. Consider skipping bottled beverages he GREAT Business program works with
in favor of bulk beverages.
businesses to make smart decisions around material and energy use. Certiied GREAT
Businesses are leaders of Gresham’s sustainable
Donate the best, compost the rest
business community.
Good-quality, leftover food is easy to donate to charity. Find out how you can donate leftover
food through the Fork It Over! program.
Fork it Over! connects food businesses with
food rescue agencies locally to reduce hunger GreshamOregon.gov
his editorial space provided by Good quality, leftover food can be donated through the Fork It Over! program.
A number of Gresham businesses participate in Gresham Composts, ensuring waste and
and waste. Join the grocery stores, restaurants and caterers in the Gresham and Portland
Community Newspapers with information supplied by the City of Gresham.
scrapings don’t end up in a landill.

INTERESTED IN REACHING
330,000

readers

Duette® Architella®
and
Water Garden Center
SEPTEMBER 14 – DECEMBER 17, 2013
Honeycomb Shades
joy.
Save $100Landscape Construction
*
Wonderful Maintenance Services
IN THE PORTLAND-METRO AREA or more with rebates window fashions Water Garden Center
ON A MONTHLY BASIS? on qualifying purchases of
Hunter Douglas window fashions.
now at a savings.
Pond Supplies Patio Decor
Yard Decor
ask us about advertising in
Fountains
Cindy’s Window Fashions
1700 NW Civic Dr Ste 140
Plants
Gresham OR
Mon-Fri: 9:30-5:30
Koi
Saturdays by appt. only Closed Sunday 503.663.5483
1213
Call your local East County 503-667-8898 cindyswindowfashions.com
851 SL
Advertising Representative for details www.creativevisionslandscape.com
432
503-665-2181
* Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid for qualifying purchases made 9/14/13 – 12/17/13 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Offer excludes NantucketM Window Shadings, a collection of Silhouette® Window Shadings. Rebate offers may not be combined; for each qualifying purchase, the higher applicable rebate amount will apply. Rebates will be issued in the form of a prepaid reward card. Funds do not expire. Licensed • Bonded • Insured • Commercial • Residential LCB #7322 Oregon • CREATIVL960CP Washington
L1213
Subject to applicable law, a $2.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 7 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. Additional limitations apply. Ask participating dealer for details, rebate form and information on qualifying purchases. © 2013 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas.
9965 SE Orient Dr., Boring, OR 97009
33461 S
36459
4