Key Takeaways:
During his April 12 "100 Days" address in Queens, Mayor Zohran Mamdani selected La Marqueta, a city-owned marketplace under the Park Avenue viaduct in East Harlem, as the site for the first of five planned municipal grocery stores.
The administration plans to spend roughly $30 million on the La Marqueta location alone, with a target opening by the end of 2027 and all five stores, one in each borough, by the end of his first term in 2029.
East Harlem was chosen based on need: nearly 38% of households in the neighborhood received SNAP in the past year and 59% cannot afford basic needs, according to the mayor's office.
Mamdani announced the La Marqueta selection Sunday evening during his 100 Days celebration in Queens. Senator Bernie Sanders made a surprise appearance, walking on to "Back in Black" and praising the plan. The city will renovate the existing La Marqueta structure rather than build from scratch, using capital funds. The store is expected to open by end of 2027, with the remaining four to follow by end of term.
"When corporations control every part of the food supply chain, prices go up, wages stay flat, and workers and customers both lose," Mamdani said. "That is why we are advancing a public option. One rooted in the belief that our city can and must intervene where the market has failed."
La Marqueta was established by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1936 as a permanent home for pushcart vendors. At its peak it served more than 25,000 patrons a day. The city already operates three public retail markets through the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and Gothamist reported those three lost about $3.6 million combined in fiscal year 2024.
The model is subsidy-based. Stores operate without paying rent or property taxes, redirecting existing NYC subsidies for private supermarkets in food deserts. Mamdani estimated the five-store program would cost approximately $60 to $70 million during the campaign. The La Marqueta allocation of $30 million consumes roughly half of that.
Industry opposition is predictable. Gristedes CEO John Catsimatidis called the idea "a delusional notion in the name of radical socialism." Stephen Zagor of Columbia Business School said publicly run groceries typically operate at subsidy, comparing the model to Amtrak or USPS. Nevin Cohen of the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute estimates a public supermarket could cut retail prices 5% to 10%.
The comparison points are mixed. A Kansas City, Missouri city-backed grocery closed earlier this year after nearly a decade of municipal investment as crime collapsed foot traffic. A Baltimore publicly-supported store has been open about a year on $1.5 million in incentives.
None of this is new. What's new is putting the experiment on New York's scale. The store opens against a backdrop of Sysco's $29.1 billion Restaurant Depot deal and the collapsed Kroger-Albertsons merger. The consolidated grocery supply chain is meeting municipal public option from the opposite direction.
People Also Ask
Q: What is La Marqueta in East Harlem? A: La Marqueta is a city-owned public market under the Park Avenue viaduct in East Harlem, established in 1936 by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia as a permanent home for pushcart vendors. At its peak it served over 25,000 patrons daily. It is now being redeveloped as the site of NYC's first city-owned grocery store.
Q: How many city-owned grocery stores is Mamdani planning? A: Five stores total, one in each of New York City's five boroughs. La Marqueta is the first. The administration aims to open all five by the end of Mamdani's first term in 2029, with total program cost estimated at $60 to $70 million.
Q: How would city-run grocery stores offer lower prices? A: The stores would operate on city-owned land without paying rent or property taxes, redirect existing NYC subsidies currently granted to private supermarkets in food deserts, and buy and sell at wholesale without profit markup. Experts estimate this could reduce retail prices 5% to 10%.
Q: Have other U.S. cities tried city-owned grocery stores? A: Yes. A Kansas City, Missouri city-backed grocery closed in early 2026 after almost a decade of municipal investment as crime reduced foot traffic. A Baltimore publicly-supported store has operated for about a year on $1.5 million in city and state incentives.
Sources and Related Reading:
CBS News NY: Mayor Mamdani announces site of first NYC-run grocery store
Newsweek: Mamdani Reveals Where First City-Owned Grocery Store Will Open
NBC New York: NYC-owned grocery store to open in East Harlem
Prism News: Mamdani to unveil city-owned grocery store plan at historic La Marqueta
WYDE: Nine States Seek $10.3 Million From Kroger After Blocking Largest Grocery Merger