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A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC. Gothamist Listen Live Donate News Mamdani’s city-run grocery stores to offer 30% price cuts on meat, produce By Karen Yi Published Jul 27, 2026 at 2:20 p.m. ET
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s city-run grocery stores will offer New Yorkers meat, seafood and fresh produce 30% cheaper than at other retail stores, city officials announced Monday .
Mamdani said the five subsidized stores — the first of which is set to open in 2027 — will set prices for items every month, based on typical prices for the same items. The city is also seeking experienced grocers to help run day-to-day operations in the stores.
“The savings will last for the entire month, that means no weekly fluctuations nor sticker shock at the checkout line, not for our seniors living on fixed incomes nor for our parents who rely on a regular supply of apple slices to keep toddler tantrums at bay,” Mamdani said during a press conference at the Campaign Against Hunger , an anti-hunger group, in East New York, Brooklyn.
The mayor’s municipal grocery stores were a signature promise of his campaign and part of his vision to make the city more affordable for New Yorkers. The announcement comes as New Yorkers struggle to afford groceries and as new Trump-era work requirements for the federal food assistance program known as SNAP kick thousands of New Yorkers off their monthly aid .
But some local bodegas and grocery stores have warned that the mayor’s plan will put them out of business. Profit margins for local grocers are slim, often around 1% they say, and many struggle with high rents, insurance costs and escalating food costs that are ultimately passed on to customers.
“He will compete directly with the bodegas and supermarkets where they have been established for many years,” said Francisco Marte, founder of the Bodega and Small Business Group, representing small food stores.
He said the Mamdani administration should instead deliver those investments to local grocers who could offer those discounts to their customers
“We could deliver his promise,” Marte said.
Mamdani said the city already operates subsidized markets such as the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side and that those haven’t harmed local businesses.
“When you’re speaking about a dense neighborhood, there is more than enough market for both existing grocers as well as one city-run grocery store,” he said. He added that more than 65,000 New Yorkers live within 10 minutes of the municipal grocery store that will open in Manhattan at La Marqueta in East Harlem, and more than 150,000 people live in Hunts Point, where the Bronx municipal grocery store will open at La Peninsula in 2027 .
Deputy Mayor Julie Su said the city’s request for proposals is now open for private grocers who want to help run one or more of the municipal stores. The city will cover rent and property taxes, but private operators will be responsible for recruiting and training staff and managing inventory, procurement and supply chains.
“These grocery stores will provide quality jobs with family-sustaining benefits and wages for the people stocking the shelves, ringing you up and keeping the lights on,” Su said.
The discounts offered at the city-run stores are expected to save families about 15% on their grocery bills or about $90 a month, city officials said. The city plans to spend $70 million in capital funds for all five stores.
“When you can't afford something as basic as groceries, it feels like the city is pushing you out,” Su said. “It means making impossible choices: eggs or bananas, milk or meat, even essential groceries or necessary medication.”
No Kid Hungry New York released a poll earlier this year that found two-thirds of New Yorkers had to pick between buying enough nutritious food or paying other bills in the last year. An even higher rate of families with children, about three-quarters, were making those trade-offs.
The municipal grocery stores will accept SNAP dollars, city officials said.
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
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