New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s city-owned grocery store plan faces another lawsuit, according to multiple reports.
The National Supermarket Association and two members, City Fresh Market and C-Town Supermarket, filed the suit in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday.
The association and stores claim the millions of dollars funding Mamdani’s grocery stores create an unfair advantage and violate antitrust laws. Mamdani said he wants to spend in upwards of $70 million for the plan.
Last month, the Multicultural Business Coalition filed a lawsuit against the plan. The coalition formed this year to fight Mamdani’s grocery store plan and comprises 50 chambers of commerce representing Asian, African, Caribbean, Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Jewish-owned businesses in New York.
The city has chosen sites for two of the five locations, including one in East Harlem’s La Marqueta, where five bodegas operate just a few blocks away. Groups opposed to the plan say that presents a problem.
The city also announced that the city-run grocery stores will price certain items, including produce, meat, bread and milk, 30% below average market prices.
The National Supermarket Association represents 450 independent grocery stores and filed the complaint with the American First Policy Institute.
“Independent supermarkets have invested in … neighborhoods, created jobs, paid taxes and served local families for generations,” National Supermarket Association President Anthony Pena told the New York Post. “They deserve a fair and level playing field, not competition against a government-subsidized program operating under different rules.”
Dining and Cooking