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Josefina Aguirre pauses an interview inside her family’s Spanish Harlem meat market to sell a customer a $1 item. It’s part of her daily routine as a first-generation American working at the shop where she’s been for 30 years.
Aguirre is among several neighborhood grocers suing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. His plan to open city-supported grocery stores across all five boroughs promises shoppers prices 30% lower than other retailers. Local business owners worry it could force small stores to close.
“When we heard Mamdani was opening a grocery store where people are gonna save 30%, it scares us because we don’t have the money to compete,” Aguirre said. “I mean, we are New Yorkers, we’re not scared of competition, but when you have a grocery store coming in like this, it could take us out of business.”
One of these city-backed stores is planned to open next year at La Marqueta, close to Aguirre’s family business. New York City will invest about $30 million to establish the location, creating taxpayer-supported competition near Aguirre’s shop.
Aguirre’s shop has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, rising rents, and competition from retailers like Costco. However, Mamdani’s plan poses a new challenge. Aguirre explains that if the city offers a whole chicken for $7, while she sells it for $13, customers will opt for the cheaper option.
Beyond financial impact, Aguirre worries about the personal consequences. Her store supports her mortgage and her kid’s tuition. If her family’s store closes, she faces uncertainty about her future career.
The grocers’ lawsuit claims Mamdani’s plan uses public funds and resources to create competition that private businesses can’t match. Mamdani’s $70 million commitment involves opening five municipal grocery stores, hoping to lower grocery bills in response to rising food costs. The stores would benefit from operating on city-owned property without rent or property taxes, offering price advantages.
The plan represents an early test of Mamdani’s broader socialist vision for New York. It introduces government-run stores as competition to private businesses in a city known for capitalism.
For Aguirre, this fight is deeply personal. Her family’s store represents a legacy left by her parents, and leaving it is not an option she desires.
“So what will happen next? The next thing would be closing our business, and we don’t want to close, we’ve been here for years,” she said.
Mamdani’s office did not reply to inquiries from Fox News Digital.