Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez and Mayor Zohran Mamdani shop at a NYC municipal grocery store.
New York City lawmakers are exploring a proposal to codify Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s initiative for city-owned grocery stores, aiming to make them a permanent fixture in the city’s retail landscape. Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez is leading the charge, with colleagues supporting a plan that would require the establishment of at least five municipal grocery stores in each of the city’s five boroughs.
This legislative push comes as Mayor Mamdani’s administration is already working to open one such store in each borough by the end of his first term. “Let’s make sure it’s not something that just our current mayor invests in, but something we can codify into in perpetuity,” Gutiérrez stated, emphasizing the desire for long-term sustainability beyond the current administration.
The proposal, detailed in legislation, suggests that the commissioner of small business services or another designated agency leader would be responsible for creating these stores. This would be done in consultation or partnership with a contracted entity, where feasible.
The city’s initiative, as outlined in a press release earlier this year, is designed to reduce the cost of everyday essentials. By utilizing public ownership, the program aims to eliminate markups typically passed on to consumers. Mayor Mamdani has committed $70 million in capital funds to develop the initial five sites. Under this model, the city would own the land and cover overhead costs like rent and construction. A private operator, selected through a request for proposals process, would manage daily operations and be contractually obligated to pass savings directly to customers on a core basket of staple goods.
Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, began his mayoral term this year after winning the New York City mayoral election as a Democrat.
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