Bodega and deli owners near the planned location of New York City's first government-owned grocery store fear the project will harm their business. Hardworking retailers told the Daily Mail they are concerned that Zohran Mamdani's flagship policy will eat into their margins and some smaller businesses may even be forced to close.
Mamdani's Campaign Pledge
Mamdani pledged to open taxpayer-subsidized grocery stores selling products at a discount in each of the Big Apple's five boroughs during his election campaign. The first will open in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the South Bronx by the end of 2027 on a campus also boasting new affordable housing which was touted as a positive for nearby businesses.
Local Business Concerns
But the co-owner of local A1 Depot Butcher directly opposite told the Daily Mail she is worried that her family-owned store could be forced to close after 20 years in business once Mamdani's grocery store opens its doors. She declined to go on the record with her name, saying that she fears retaliation since local politicians are in support of the project.
'They have nothing better to do with my tax dollars?' she asked, adding that she sees 'a lot of nice cars parked over there' near the planned 20,000 sq ft lot. The owner claimed she was only told about potential benefits of the accompanying affordable housing development and not informed about the publicly subsidized grocery store.
'They told me this would be good for my business,' she told the Daily Mail. 'They never said anything about a grocery store.' When asked who she voted for, she replied: 'Certainly not for Mamdani.'
Her sense of defeat was echoed by a cashier at Empire x City Deli just five blocks away. 'It is what it is,' he said. 'There's nothing I can do about it.'
Widespread Opposition
The Daily Mail visited and spoke to owners and employees at six delis and bodegas within a quarter mile of the proposed city-run grocery store and all but one of them shared reservations or outright opposition to the plan. Workers at Hero City Dark Night, Toledo Grocery and Green Deli also expressed skepticism about the proposal.
The Peninsula Project
The new store will be constructed at the Peninsula, a major project by the city's Economic Development Corporation that is meant to revitalize the former site of a juvenile detention center that permanently closed in 2011. The campus, which began construction in 2019, will include 740 units of affordable housing and is flanked by warehouses and industrial lots full of trucks and heavy equipment.
The parts of the campus that have already been completed lie in stark visual contrast to the surrounding area. The poverty rate in Hunts Point was 36 percent in 2023, according to the most recently available data from the Furman Center. The citywide average was 18 percent.
Mixed Reactions
Brenda Santos, who was working the counter at Nelly's Corp Deli Grocery, said that she had not heard about the planned grocery store but that she thought it was 'a good idea.' 'I already hand out food for free a lot,' she said. 'They come in and they ask for food. I give it to them instead of throwing it away.'
Local resident Pablo Torres, who was grilling and selling meat on a corner, also said that the grocery store would be 'good for the community.' Though when the Daily Mail told him about business owners' concerns he conceded that the grocery store could threaten local businesses.
Opposition to the Plan
Opponents of Mamdani's city-run grocery stores, which include nonprofits such as the Multicultural Business Coalition and City Council Speaker Julie Menin, have questioned whether the plan would be an efficient use of taxpayer cash and how it might negatively impact local businesses. The Daily Mail has contacted the Mayor's Office for comment.
