Meteorologists are predicting a wave of winter weather in Portland this weekend due to an arctic blast affecting much of the country. Forecasts indicate the possibility of 1 to 8 inches of snow accumulation, along with freezing rain and temperatures in the teens. These conditions are expected to make travel difficult, significantly impacting diners and food service workers’ ability to access restaurants and food carts.

Snow days can be financially devastating for restaurant and food cart owners, with estimated losses of thousands of dollars in revenue. In response, some businesses are proactively offering winter meal kits labeled as ‘snowpocalypse kits’ or ‘survival kits’ to help customers prepare for the impending storm and to mitigate potential financial losses.

Sugarpine Drive-In, for example, is offering a ‘snowpocalypse’ meal kit, which includes sandwich fixings, salads, and soups, designed to serve two or three people. Meanwhile, Indian American restaurant Masala Lab, along with its food carts Desi PDX and Chaat Wallah, plans to close its carts ahead of the weekend and utilize the restaurant space as a pickup location for meal kits.

Deepak Saxena, the owner of these establishments, explains that the decision to offer meal kits is a way to offset the anticipated financial impact of the snowstorm, especially during a crucial period following the holidays. ‘It’s a lot of lost revenue,’ says Saxena. ‘This is a way to make up for some of that.’

Portland has historically experienced more significant impacts on the restaurant industry during snowstorms compared to other cities due to the lack of extreme weather infrastructure. As a result, the proactive approach of offering ‘snowpocalypse kits’ not only helps businesses mitigate financial losses but also provides a valuable service to diners preparing for the impending winter weather.