NYC to Open First City-Run Grocery Store in East Harlem

Mayor Mamdani announces La Marqueta as site for new municipal food market

Apr. 12, 2026 at 11:06pm

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A photorealistic painting of the exterior of a two-story brick building with arched windows and a covered walkway, the facade bathed in warm, golden light and deep shadows, conceptually representing the historic architecture and community spirit of a public market space.The redevelopment of the city-owned La Marqueta site aims to revive the historic public market's role as an affordable, accessible food hub for the East Harlem community.NYC Today

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has selected La Marqueta in East Harlem as the location for the city's first municipally-operated grocery store. The administration plans to renovate the existing city-owned site and open the store by the end of 2027, with the goal of expanding to one store per borough by the end of Mamdani's term.

Why it matters

The new city-run grocery store aims to address food insecurity and affordability issues in East Harlem, where nearly 38% of households receive public assistance and 59% struggle to afford basic needs. The mayor's office sees this as a way for the city to intervene where the private market has failed to provide access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food for all New Yorkers.

The details

Mayor Mamdani announced the plan at a rally in Queens, stating that the city-run grocery store will partner with third-party operators to control pricing and labor. The administration plans to renovate existing structures rather than build from scratch, with the goal of opening the La Marqueta location by the end of 2027 and all five planned borough stores by the end of Mamdani's term.

  • Mayor Mamdani announced the plan on April 12, 2026.
  • The city aims to open the La Marqueta store by the end of 2027.
  • The administration plans to open one city-run grocery store in each borough by the end of Mamdani's term.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

The current mayor of New York City, who has made addressing food insecurity a priority of his administration.

Elsie Encarnacion

A New York City Council member representing East Harlem, who stated that the new store will provide access to affordable, healthy, and culturally relevant food.

Yusef Salaam

A New York City Council member who praised the plan as a significant step toward fighting food insecurity in the city's communities.

Stuart Appelbaum

The president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, who expressed support for the administration's efforts to lower grocery costs for New Yorkers.

Fiorello LaGuardia

The former mayor of New York City who established La Marqueta in 1936 as a permanent home for pushcart vendors, turning it into an essential food hub for East Harlem.

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What they’re saying

“When corporations control every part of the food supply chain, prices go up, wages stay flat, and workers and customers both lose. 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. We cannot accept a status quo where even the most basic necessity -- putting food on the table -- feels out of reach.”

— Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City

“This means access to affordable, healthy food that is hopefully culturally relevant.”

— Elsie Encarnacion, New York City Council member

“Food is a basic human right and no one should have to work more than one job to afford to put dinner on the table. No child should go hungry and no parent should have to worry about where the next meal will come from.”

— Yusef Salaam, New York City Council member

“As the Administration seeks ways to lower the cost of groceries for New Yorkers, we look forward to working with it to make sure these stores deliver for families and workers alike.”

— Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union

What’s next

The Mamdani administration plans to select future sites for city-run grocery stores soon and open the La Marqueta location by the end of 2027, with the goal of having one store in each borough by the end of the mayor's term.

The takeaway

The city's plan to open a network of municipally-operated grocery stores represents a bold effort to address food insecurity and affordability issues in underserved communities, challenging the status quo of corporate control over the food supply chain. If successful, this initiative could serve as a model for other cities seeking to ensure all residents have access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.