Mayor Mamdani took office with a full plate of responsibilities, and he’s making sure New York City residents have enough to eat
| By Frederick H. Lowe The mayor of the “Big Apple” promises to cut produce and meat prices in soon-to-open city-owned grocery stores New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently said New York will open city-owned grocery stores in each of the five boroughs, offering a 30 percent discount on all produce, meat, and pantry staples Mayor Mamdani announced the opening in Brooklyn of the city’s “Campaign Against Hunger.”“Since 2019, food prices have soared at grocery stores around the country by roughly 30 percent. In fact. talk to shoppers around the city, and you will hear the same frustration: wages have not kept up,” Mamdani said. By removing profit-driven overhead, the stores aim to offer discounted prices on essential items, making grocery shopping more affordable for all New Yorkers, all of whom are welcome regardless of income status of zip code residence. The first grocery store will open in East Harlem, Manhattan, on the site of the former La Marqueta. The site is a 9,000-square-foot store and is expected to open by 2029, though construction may begin earlier. The second store is in Hunts Point, the Bronx. It is a 20,000-square-foot store and is anticipated to open in 2027 within an affordable housing redevelopment area..In Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, locations are still being evaluated, with the city inviting property owners to propose potential sites through an online portal, EDC. nyc. The city owns the land and covers overhead costs, including construction and rent.Daily operations will be run by a third-party operator selected through a competitive process, with contractual obligations to maintain low prices on a core basket of staples EDC. nyc. Mamdani revealed that essential groceries such as produce, meat, seafood, pasta, bread, yogurt, butter, nuts, rice, and beans will be 30% cheaper than normal. Other products will be sold at regular market prices. “Once a month, our five city-run grocery stores will set prices for this core set of goods at 30% below typical retail prices,” the mayor said. “No exceptions, no gimmicks. The savings will last for the entire month.”He added, “That means no weekly fluctuations or sticker shock at the checkout line — not for our seniors living on fixed incomes, nor for the parents who rely on a regular supply of apple slices to keep toddler tantrums at bay.” The price cut is expected to save New Yorkers about $90 a month, or roughly $1,000 a year, as grocery prices have risen by 33% nationwide since 2019, according to the mayor’s office. |