Inside New Yorkers' hopes and fears over Mamdani's city-run grocery stores
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's five city-run grocery stores are set to open by 2029.
Paola Chapdelaine for BI Phillip Grant is feeling optimistic.
He thinks he's the best man to operate Mayor Zohran Mamdani's city-run supermarkets .
Along with being a former city economic development executive and construction entrepreneur, he's a New Yorker who's shocked that an orange costs $2 at his local gas station.
We're walking the perimeter of a vacant city-owned lot in East Harlem.
It's the future spot for La Marqueta, one of five planned stores set to open by the end of Mamdani's first term — all of which will offer a 30% discount on core goods like fruit, vegetables, and dairy.
It's also the most expensive location, accounting for $30 million of the $70 million the mayor has set aside to launch the initiative.
The administration is looking for established grocers who know the food business and can take on day-to-day store management.
If he were to be named operator, Grant said he "would be looking for a really strategic partner" in the city, "that could knock on those doors that we can't get to and have an ear to the street." Phillip Grant, a former NYC economic development executive who now runs a construction firm, told me he's applying to operate the city-run supermarkets.
Paola Chapdelaine for BI Engaging with the public will be key.
Over the past few weeks, I've had dozens of conversations about Mamdani's city-run stores — one of his buzziest promises aimed at lowering the cost of living in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Some New Yorkers welcome a solution for high food prices, while others are concerned nearby mom-and-pop shops will lose customers in an already profit-poor industry.
A few hopeful operators, like Grant, said they know the highs and lows of the grocery industry and want to be part of Mamdani's solution .
The East Harlem lot is flanked by a slew of small shops: Meat markets, produce stands, grocers, and convenience stores.
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