Mamdani’s city-run grocery plan draws pushback from local bodegas, supermarkets

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s (D) plan to open a city-owned grocery store in East Harlem is drawing pushback from critics who question its feasibility and warn of its economic impact on local businesses.

At a rally Sunday marking his first 100 days as mayor, the democratic socialist announced the location of the first of five city-owned grocery stores — one in each of New York City’s boroughs — that he plans to open in the next couple years.

Mamdani identified La Marqueta, a marketplace in East Harlem, as the site for Manhattan’s store, which he said he hopes to open by 2029. The sites for the other four stores have not yet been announced, but Mamdani said he hopes to open the first city-owned store in late 2027, with all five operating by the end of his first term.

In making the announcement, Mamdani took an early step toward fulfilling a key campaign promise aimed at addressing the city’s affordability crisis by offering lower-cost groceries.

“When corporations control every part of the food supply chain, prices go up, basic necessities become luxuries and workers and customers both lose,” Mamdani said. “A public option allows us to intervene where the market has failed.”

“This is about ensuring that every New Yorker, regardless of income or ZIP code, has access to fresh, healthy food at a price they can afford,” he added.

But concerns have emerged about whether Mamdani’s plan could put local bodegas and grocers at a disadvantage, as they face high operating costs and already run on slim profit margins.

“How does the mayor know what this will really cost? Does he understand the slim margins under which small grocers function?” Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran Democratic political strategist, told The Hill.

“This is charisma in action paid for by others,” he added.

Mamdani’s plan, which still needs to be approved by the City Council, would cost roughly $70 million........

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