Socialist Mamdani to open first city-run grocery store in NYC—with $30 MILLION price tag

Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first government-owned grocery store is set to open in East Harlem and is will cost taxpayers nearly $30 million. Mamdani revealed the plan during a party for his first 100 days in office and the grocery plan was one of his campaign promises.

Mamdani unveiled his grocery store initiative on Sunday and announced that all five planned municipal markets would launch before his term concludes in late 2029. "During our campaign, we promised New Yorkers that we would create a network of five city-owned, grocery stores, one in each park," Mamdani said. "Today, we make good on that promise."

Since La Marqueta is already city property, the city-owned market will operate rent-free, Mamdani noted the facility will utilize a currently vacant section of La Marqueta. The mayor added that they will be "stores where prices are fair, where workers are treated with dignity, and where New Yorkers can actually afford to shop at our stores." He added, "Eggs will be cheaper, bread will be cheaper, grocery shopping will no longer be an unsolvable equation."

This East Harlem location represents the initial phase of the city-wide, city-run grocery store plan. Mamdani committed to opening five government-owned and operated stores during his campaign. The single store will require approximately $30 million in funding, reported the New York Times.

The expense would use nearly half the $70 million budget he allocated for the entire five-store initiative. Mamdani has claimed that the stores will reduce grocery expenses for low-income residents.

"We're going to make it easier for New Yorkers to put food on the table," Mamdani said at the 100-day party, where his socialist comrade Senator Bernie Sanders also made a surprise appearance.

"Since the pandemic, grocery prices have gone up and they haven't come back down," he added. "We feel it every single time we go to the store. Between 2013 and 2023 grocery prices increased in New York City by nearly 66% — significantly higher than the national average."