Immigrant Business Group Votes to Sue NYC over Grocery Stores
Immigrant business owners across New York City plan to sue Mayor Mamdani over his $70 million taxpayer-funded grocery store plan, claiming it will destroy their livelihoods.
The Multicultural Business Coalition board approved legal action this week as the far-left mayor unveiled additional details of his $70 million scheme to create five city-operated supermarkets selling basic goods at a 30 percent discount compared to market prices. The group intends to file suit within weeks to halt the project, the New York Post reports.
Frank Garcia, chairman of the MBC, revealed that Mamdani has stonewalled the coalition’s attempts at dialogue. Garcia stated that the mayor refuses to sit down with the group, and warned that Mamdani won’t be able to intimidate the lawyers they plan to bring into the fight.
The coalition was established earlier this year specifically to oppose the municipal grocery store policy. It represents 50 chambers of commerce spanning Asian, African, Caribbean, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and Jewish-owned enterprises throughout the city. Garcia announced the nonprofit aims to raise $1 million to challenge the mayor’s agenda, characterizing the lawsuit as a non-partisan effort. The group plans to formally notify Mamdani’s office with a letter before filing.
Business owners near the proposed East Harlem location at La Marqueta have sounded the alarm. Five bodegas operate within just a few blocks of the site. The city-run stores will enjoy a significant advantage as they will occupy municipal property rent-free, according to the mayor’s office.
Radhames Rodriguez, president of the United Bodegas of America, warned that the 30 percent price cut would devastate his members’ businesses. Rodriguez told the Post that customers simply will not patronize private stores when they can purchase the same items for significantly less at government-run outlets.
Mamdani has attempted to downplay the competitive threat, noting that the city stores will not offer hot food or common bodega staples including alcohol, cigarettes, and lottery tickets. At a Monday press conference, the mayor insisted the municipal groceries pose no danger to existing businesses and claimed the city is not seeking to compete with bodegas or private grocery stores on their ability to survive.
The legal challenge emerges as Mamdani pursues an ambitious timeline to open one store in each of New York’s five boroughs by 2029, beginning with the Bronx. Nearly four dozen grocery stores already operate within a 35-minute walking distance of the La Marqueta site. The mayor has stated the East Harlem location will cost $30 million and require three years to complete construction.
With information from Breitbart News
