Potato Champion's Mike McKinnon Teams Up with Michelin-Trained Chef for CARTOPIA's Next Chapter

Burger Ritual Opens September 14th in Portland's Legendary Food Cart Pod—Now with Full Bar

PORTLAND, OR — Mike McKinnon, the visionary behind Potato Champion who helped define Portland's late-night food cart culture, and Andrey Sitnikov, a Moscow-born chef who traded law for Michelin kitchens in NYC, are launching Burger Ritual at CARTOPIA. The legendary food cart pod on SE 12th and Hawthorne is entering an exciting new era with a full liquor license and fully refreshed lot space.

A Partnership Built on Shared Obsession

McKinnon launched Potato Champion in 2008, creating a late-night institution that became synonymous with Portland's street food boom. The cart's fresh-cut fries and inventive poutines drew cult followings for over a decade before McKinnon sold it in 2022 to manage CARTOPIA itself. In 2025, he acquired the former Bottle Rocket space—the perfect foundation for realizing a longtime vision.

Sitnikov's journey from Moscow lawyer to Michelin-starred kitchens reads like culinary fiction. After discovering his passion at Moscow's acclaimed Delicatessen Bar, he pivoted completely—moving to New York, graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education, and cooking at NoMad, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, and Aska. His memoir about this transformation gained devoted followers across Russia. After relocating to Portland in 2020, he co-founded Summit Shack, a cart that gained a cult-following in its short run of just over a year.

McKinnon and Sitnikov have created Burger Ritual, a cart that harnesses their combined creative vision and decades of experience.

More Than Just Burgers—It's the Full Experience

Burger Ritual represents something new for Portland’s food scene: a space built for community, now with smashburgers and elevated bar snacks made with Michelin-trained precision. The menu feels familiar yet elevated—exactly what you'd expect from this partnership.

CARTOPIA's rare full on-premise liquor license allows Burger Ritual to serve batch cocktails, zero-proof creations, and draft beers through a state of the art state of the art glycol system that delivers ice-cold pours even on the hottest Portland days.

CARTOPIA's Bright Future

Under McKinnon's management, CARTOPIA continues evolving while maintaining its legendary status as a cornerstone of Portland's food scene. The refreshed lot space and new liquor license position the pod for continued growth, building on decades of success in one of the city's most beloved food cart pods.

The Mission

"We want to serve food that's straightforward, delicious, and executed with obsessive attention to detail," says the team. "It's more than just a cart — it's a ritual."

Burger Ritual’s Grand Opening is September 14th at CARTOPIA FOOD CARTS, SE 12th and Hawthorne. From 3pm-9pm we’re hosting our favorite Portland DJ’s: Maxx Bass, Kira Kira, Omie, and Daniela Karina. The first 100 customers will get two free drink tickets, as well as giveaways throughout the day.

For information about the Press Preview on Opening Day, and more information contact:
Mike@burgerritual.com