A business coalition representing small New York City grocers has filed two related legal actions seeking to block Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed municipal grocery program. The group argues that the city failed to study whether deeply discounted public stores would harm immigrant- and minority-owned businesses.
The Multicultural Business Coalition Inc. filed an Article 78 petition and a separate proposed class-action complaint in New York County Supreme Court. The coalition alleges that the city’s New York City Groceries Program—which calls for five city-owned grocery stores selling staple goods at prices up to 30% below market rates—could force private supermarkets, bodegas, and grocery stores out of business.
The lawsuits name Mayor Mamdani, in his official capacity, and the City of New York as defendants.
What the Filings Seek
The Article 78 petition asks a judge to permanently enjoin the city from opening or operating the stores until officials conduct land-use reviews and analyze the program’s economic effects on nearby independent grocers…