New York City could soon be running grocery stores. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani plans to open five government-owned grocery stores to help bring some of his constituents cheaper grocery prices. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at a food distribution center on July 27, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Grocery stores already operate on razor-thin profit margins of about 1% to 3%, according to several estimates. “It’s always a wonderful thing to have a really good grocery store in your community,” Nestle said.