Siddharth Kavale and Waylon Cunningham
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Representatives of New York City's bodegas, grocers and restaurants said on Wednesday they hope New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will spend less time going after President Donald Trump and focus on his promises to make the city more affordable.
Mamdani, 34, a democratic socialist, “won a hotly contested race that captured national attention.” He won over younger voters with a campaign focused on housing affordability, including promises to freeze rents and raise taxes on the wealthy. But his proposals have raised alarm among the city's business community, concerned about slowing economic growth and an eroding tax base.
In his victory speech, Mamdani took aim at Trump, who threatened to send the US National Guard to the city and tighten immigration controls.
Frank Marte, president of the Bodega and Small Business Group of New York, which represents 3,000 bodegas, hair salons and other small businesses, said he fears escalating tensions with Trump could lead to federal retaliation.
“He's talking about a confrontation with Trump that he won't win. The city or New Yorkers will suffer,” Marte said.
Some business owners were concerned about his plan to open one city grocery store in each neighborhood to offer residents wholesale prices.
“The government doesn't know how to run a store,” said David Schwartz, director of the New York Grocery Store Association, noting problems with hiring workers and meeting customer preferences.
Mamdani's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
At the start of his campaign, Mamdani posted a popular video on social media claiming the city was suffering from “halalflation,” in which the high cost of food ingredients forces owners of the city's ubiquitous food trucks to charge more for items such as chicken instead of rice.
Hakki Akdeniz, owner of the Essex NYC steakhouse and more than 20 other restaurants, said he hopes Mamdani will prioritize the homeless and hungry, noting his own experience as a “homeless immigrant who came to New York without knowing English.”
Andrew Righi, executive director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, which represents restaurants and nightlife venues, asked Mamdani to focus on increasing accessibility by bringing in small business experts, cutting red tape and lowering fines.
John Catsimatidis, the billionaire owner of the New York supermarket chains Gristedes and D'Agostino, told Reuters that after Mamdani's victory, he plans to “lighten” about 20% to 25% of his $1 billion in real estate assets in the city, including the sale of many Gristedes stores and other properties.
“As a New Yorker for 70 years, I am very concerned that socialism will take over,” he said.
Keith McNally, owner of the French brasserie Balthazar in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, praised Mamdani in an Instagram post, saying he would “gladly pay more taxes so that all New Yorkers can afford to live here and lead decent, healthy lives.”
(Reporting by Siddharth Kavale and Waylon Cunningham in New York; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
