WASHINGTON (TNND) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said over the weekend that he will go forward with his plans to open five city-run grocery stores.
The first grocery store will be set up in East Harlem next year, according to The Washington Post.
When Mamdani ran for mayor in 2025, he ran on a democratic socialist platform with promises of city-run grocery stores and freezing the rent.
“I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as democratic socialist,” Mamdani said over the weekend. “With what we accomplished in 14 weeks, imagine what we can do in four years. Government is a series of choices, and socialism is the choice to fight for every New Yorker.”
Mamdani said that the groceries at the city-run stores will be cheaper than other grocery stores like Aldi, Costco and Target.
“At our stores, eggs will be cheaper,” he said. “Bread will be cheaper. Grocery shopping will no longer be an unsolvable equation. Now, some will insist that city-owned businesses do not work. That government cannot keep up with corporations. My answer to them is simple: I look forward to the competition.”
Members of United Bodegas of America said last year that city-owned grocery stores would be harmful to private businesses, according to NBC 4 New York.
“There’s no way that New York City can take over and install bodegas run by the government,” said Fernando Mateo, the spokesperson for UBA.
There was a city-owned grocery store in Kansas City, Missouri but it was closed due to steep losses.