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PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Those working to prepare meals in food carts and outdoor eateries during this week’s heat wave have had to take extra precautions to keep themselves safe.

Jen Soutavong, who has owned White Elephant Asian Fusion on Mississippi Ave. for eight years, says this year’s heat wave has felt worse than in years past.

“It’s about 20 to 25 degrees hotter inside than it is outside,” she told FOX 12 on Monday. “I keep a cold towel around my neck, I’ve got some fans, but I limit my hours because there’s no way I’m going to work in this obscene heat.”

She said oftentimes, food carts aren’t able to use full air conditioning because it causes the power to short-circuit. Over the weekend and on Monday, she only stayed open for early lunch and late dinner to avoid the worst of the heat and let most of her part-time employees stay home.

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Other food carts in the pod, like Matt’s BBQ, were closing down completely until the heat subsides on Wednesday, for the safety of their employees.

Patrick Sheils, who manages ‘Prost!’ next door says many of the food cart employees come over to take a break in their air conditioning, but even his employees are facing struggles.

“We did have a couple of employees who did have some issues with the heat and we did send them home, just to make sure we’re taking care of each other and they’re taking care of themselves,” Sheils said. “This is going to become the new norm, I just feel like it’s going to become hotter every year. It’s something that we all have to work together with.”

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Multiple groups spent Saturday handing out water and checking on unhoused people as the metro area swelters under an excessive heat emergency until Tuesday.

He said there are a lot fewer customers during these heat events as well.

But closing down and limiting hours for any period of time takes a toll on smaller businesses, and Soutavong said even though capacity is limited, she’ll do her best to serve her customers.

“I want to compare this, as far as not being able to operate, as bad as the winter storm because you can’t be outside, it’s hard,” she said. “So please go support your local businesses, especially your food carts, because they’re going to need it.”