A viral video of bare shelves and a rancid stench at Kansas City’s city-owned Sun Fresh Market has thrown a harsh spotlight on New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s plan for city-run grocery stores.
The New York Post reported that a video exposing dismal conditions at Kansas City’s Sun Fresh Market, funded by millions in taxpayer dollars since 2018, has sparked fierce debate over Mamdani’s proposal to open city-owned grocery stores in New York City to address affordability.
The Kansas City store, meant to serve as a model for public markets, instead showcased empty aisles and a lack of fresh produce, as reported by local station KSHB.
One outraged local told KSHB, “It’s damn near dead.” If this is the future of public groceries, New Yorkers might brace for disappointment.
The viral footage, shared widely on X with captions like “Watch this, Mamdani supporters,” has fueled skepticism about government-run retail.
Critics argue that Kansas City’s failure proves that city-owned stores are a recipe for waste. Throwing taxpayer money at empty shelves won’t fill New Yorkers’ pantries.
Mamdani, a Democratic candidate, unveiled his grocery plan during his campaign, notably at the LGBTQIA+ Pride March on June 29, 2025.
He envisions a pilot program with one store in each of New York’s five boroughs. Five stores, $65 million, and a dream of affordability—sounds noble, but the devil’s in the details.
“It’s like a public option for produce,” Mamdani said in a TikTok video, promising stores free of profit motives, property taxes, or rent. Noble intentions aside, “public option” rhetoric often masks inefficiency. Kansas City’s rancid reality suggests Mamdani’s vision might rot before it ripens.
Mamdani’s proposal, costing an estimated $65 million, lacks clarity on whether the city would directly manage stores or partner with private or nonprofit entities. Vague plans invite mismanagement. New Yorkers deserve specifics, not utopian promises.
“That would be one store in each borough — five stores across New York City,” Mamdani said on “The Bulwark” podcast.
Five stores won’t revolutionize a city with 1,000 supermarkets, but they could disrupt local markets. Small businesses, already squeezed, might not survive the experiment.
Billionaire John Catsimatidis, owner of Gristedes, didn’t mince words: “We can’t compete with city-run supermarkets for free.” His threat to shutter stores highlights the risk of government meddling in markets. When bureaucrats play grocer, private enterprise often pays the price.
Mamdani points to a government-owned store in St. Paul, Kansas, as a success story. A town of 600 is hardly a blueprint for New York’s 8 million. Comparing apples to oranges won’t stock the shelves.
New York already has six public retail markets, like Jamaica Market, managed by the Economic Development Corporation since the 1930s. These markets, rooted in Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s era, blend affordability with oversight. Mamdani’s plan feels like a rebrand of a system that’s already niche—and not always thriving.
“They still operate in neighborhoods all across the city,” said Nevin Cohen of CUNY’s Urban Food Policy Institute, praising the existing markets’ low-cost model. Yet, Cohen’s optimism dodges the Kansas City debacle. History shows public markets work best as supplements, not replacements.
Supply chain expert Brittain Ladd warned, “The program will fail if people who don’t have expertise set it up.” City bureaucrats aren’t exactly known for their retail prowess. Mamdani’s “bare-bones” vision might just mean bare shelves.
“These would be very specialized grocery stores,” Ladd added, suggesting a focus on essentials. Specialized or not, New Yorkers need reliable access to fresh food, not pilot programs that smell of failure. Kansas City’s stench lingers as a warning.
Mamdani defends his plan as a bold experiment, saying, “If they work, they work. And if they don’t, c’est la vie.” New Yorkers footing the $65 million bill might not shrug so casually. Taxpayer-funded flops aren’t chic—they’re costly.
Some New Yorkers, spooked by the Kansas City video, warn of “Soviet-style” stores under Mamdani’s plan. Hyperbole aside, centralized control of food supply raises red flags. Freedom thrives on choice, not government groceries.
