Shoppers Have to Show New York City Residency to Shop at Mamdani’s Grocery Stores
“…we are looking to make sure that we target New Yorkers, whether it be a sort of a library card-esque…”
You don’t have to show an ID to vote, but you need to show one to shop at one of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist grocery stores.
The revelation came out during a July 27 press conference. I bet it only came out now because it was just a blip during media questions.
A reporter asked Mamdani how the city will stop people from taking advantage of the discount grocery stores and if they’ll ration items.
Mamdani danced around the question: “So, our RFP [Request for Proposals] makes very clear that this is a program for New Yorkers to be able to put food on the table, not a program for people to be able to make a quick buck through reselling. I’m going [to] pass it over to our EDC head, Jeanny Pak, to add some additional details.”
Pak hurried through her answer, obviously wanting to avoid the subject:
“Yes, if you look at our RFP for the operator, we are looking to make sure that we target New Yorkers, whether it be a sort of a library card-esque, and also, we manage who’s buying and that it’s focused on everyday New Yorkers. So, we are mindful of that, and we’re going to make sure that we have all the things in place to ensure that that does not happen.”
Mamdani wants to protect tax payer funded grocery store from non-NYC residents… they’ll need an ID card to enter.
You can make this up. pic.twitter.com/lXs2SKdjBt
— Nick Plumb (@PlumbNick) August 2, 2026
Socialists sure do excel at language. “Library card-esque.” No mention of ID, whether it be state-issued or even a school-issued one.
However, the government runs the library, so yes, the city issues you a library card.
Therefore, a library card is a form of government ID.
If it’s a membership card, would they have to show an ID to get one? I imagine so.
Core Basket discounts must be universal “sticker prices,” not promotions. Then the operator must create a membership card to “implement the discount program.” Which is it? Universal shelf price or an ID card system — btw, also says it’s available to all people…
— nick kokonas (@nickkokonas) August 3, 2026
and it doesn’t even properly target their goals b/c the subsidy isn’t targeted. No means test. Anyone can shop there. So taxpayers will subsidize groceries for affluent shoppers who happen to live nearby, while needy families elsewhere get zero.
— nick kokonas (@nickkokonas) August 3, 2026
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
I don’t understand. An ID is needed to shop. Doesn’t this mean blacks and women won’t be able to shop since they don’t have IDs and can’t get one?? At least that is what every democrat says, Doesn’t this also mean the NYC mayor is both racist and misogynistic? Who knew? I guess he hates Jews
blacks and women!
The people whom Democrats say cannot produce an ID are the very people who will be shopping in these stores.
Have to show NYC residency to shop at city grocery store.
I’m sure that will entice lots of people to move there. I better go check U-haul before they’re all gone.
After checking with U-haul I find there are plenty of U-haul trucks available everywhere—except NYC and California where they’re scarce as hen’s teeth.
Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota ain’t looking good either, from what I hear.
I have heard lots of good things about Minneapolis.
They have lots of good quality child care centers there. And some of those are excellent Lering Centers for slow lerers.
That’s LEARing centers! Kant yoo spel?
Not fur shure!
I was a real slow learer.
Then there is a center for you Paula. Maybe they have adult programs too.
No matter how badly the program flops the media will hail it as a brilliant success.
It is going to be absolutely delightful to sit back and behold this slow motion train wreck; fake IDs, fraud, empty shelves, theft, fighting, etc. are on the way…enjoy the socialism, NYC…show us how awesome it’s going to be.
Next will be the excuses, accusations, and blaming of…whoever or whatever, when the wheels quickly come off this thing.
Hoarders and wreckersRacists.So, you need to show ID to buy food, but not to vote. Got it!
I’m waiting for the long lines to buy toilet paper. Somehow I can’t see NYC residents being as orderly as the Russians were (are?) but we shall see,
The shortages will be an endless source of amusement to the Thumb People.
Oh noes! Socialism will fail again and the failure will be blamed on others? Socialism can’t get a break, I tell ya.
I’m waiting for the stores to be ransacked, its a common occurrence on both coasts
However, no ID will be required for stealing and they won’t arrest you for it either
I don’t know.
Reparations = stealing from private businesses
Theft = stealing from the state
Somehow I don’t think stealing from government owned food stores will be tolerated.
There probably won’t be too many things in the government owned stores worth stealing.
The shelving might fetch a pretty penny.
They will certainly be uncontaminated by product of any kind.
Highly coveted government cheese.
They’ll take several of their dwindling number of police officers off the streets and post them as guards.
“We’re sorry. All of our officers are guarding groceries. Please take your deceased family member to the nearest coroner’s office.”
Okay here’s a question. Will the government run grocery stores have self-checkout and will they discount 10% for those that use it?? I know it’s not CA but inquiring minds want to know.
Why is everyone missing the forest for the trees? There are over 5000 supermarkets in New York City. Opening one or two or even five supermarkets over the next four years, even if they are able to achieve reduced prices for a limited number of items, will only be able to service 0.1 percent of the population. Since a shopper buys many more items at the supermarket, the actual savings for a shopper will be minuscule. Also, if people think that they are getting a great bargain, the lines will be long which will make it inconvenient to shop there (think of the shoppers in the former Soviet Union waiting in long lines for hours and hours to purchase basic food items). Also, these supermarkets will find it impossible to keep the store stocked with goods. In other words, you cannot profitably run a supermarket under these conditions. Of course, Mamdani, since he is a Communist, doesn’t care if the supermarkets are able to make a profit. He will just “tax the rich” to pay for the loses that will occur.
Supermarkets are closing in NYC. Look for that trend to continue due to the high food and transportation costs, and rising labor costs as the socialist government increases the minimum wage. This ignores property and business taxes which are likely to increase the run rate for grocery stores which operate on a thin margin already.
What is this commie’s end game.
Let’s assume all five stores are successful beyond any reasonable expectation we have now.
Only very few of the New Yorkers will receive any benefit.
What is his next step?
Will Commie take control over all the NYC stores?
That’s easier and more efficient than establishing new stores.
Sure you can. I shop at a cost + 10% grocery that’s employee owned. It has a much smaller but still decent selection of items, a very good butcher shop, quality fresh fruits/veggies. Unless you desire wandering in a huge warehouse with every possible option this suits just fine. I stumbled into it b/c it is close and got hooked. As.for NYC owned groceries I’d predict a delivery option expansion, can’t discriminate against the homebound. Others will use their ‘APP’ + delivery for convenience. Then there’s the potential for city to put their thumb on the scales for parking/delivery allowing the City Store drivers slack for double parking or whatever, to squeeze other groceries with increased regulatory enforcement all.sorts of ways to make it work.
Won’t drive out larger corporate national store chains, they have too much scale. The Mom/Pop single store or a handful of stores smaller operations? They’re likely to get hammered and the big national chain stores will be very happy about the elimination of competition.
Our opponents are hypocrites, what a revelation. Get on the RINOS who are helping to ensure you don’t need your ID to vote instead of gawking at communist r-tards. New York can and will crumble whether you watch the show or not.
“So, we are mindful of that, and we’re going to make sure that we have all the things in place to ensure that that does not happen.””
What ‘things’ ????
Would luv to see the details of how that will be implemented, but will settle for some broad brush concepts at this early stage. Mark every product? Honor system? Any penalty for reselling? Any enforcement planned? Active ‘no enforcement’ anticipated?
Gee whiz – a basic old fashioned reporter would ask these questions. We no longer have reporters – we have journalists, talking heads, etc and so forth…. but I digress.
Likely to get ugly there.
Coordinated clearing of shelves for re-sale. Easy to game the system. It will be child’s play to spoof library card, or whatever form of ID the city store requires . Fake cards will be for sale on internet after one day.
“Fake cards will be for sale on internet after one day.”
You’ll get one as a bonus when you buy your PBA card…………………………..
Lets use the entire ignorant list of why VOTER ID is a bad idea on this moron. Alinsky had that part right.
I will bet my last dollar that to obtain a NYC shopping card you will have to attach a valid credit card. The scanners will just automatically scan your shopping cart and charge your card without stopping. Otherwise the place will be cleaned five minutes after daily opening by those who think that shopping is like riding a bus.
This whole thing is nothing but a public relations stunt just like Mamdani’s plan to build 200,000 living units for 28 billion while giving the laborers a minimum wage of $40 an hour. The schmuck doesn’t even understand what the prevailing wage requirement is all about.
Will probably also need an actual government ID or DL to prove your residency.
It’s ironic that the voters didn’t need an ID to vote but must have one to shop at the commie store. According to Dems, it is too difficult for the poor to get IDs to vote but no problem to get them for cheap food!
No, they were right the first time. Poor New Yorkers will now starve for their stupidity, demonstrating once and for all that voter ID is evil. It’s all part of the Democrats’ cunning plan to prove the point.
What about to shoplift?
What’s a poor shoplifter to do these days?
Maybe NYC could put shoplifters on a bus and send them to NJ. After they do their shoplifting the bus would bring them back home in the evening.
I cannot believe that “normal” Americans voted for this …
including (I’m embarrassed to admit this) a couple of my relatives.
Am I the only one who sees a clear Commerce Clause violation here?
possibly equal protection of the laws.
But they allow states to discriminate in their own state universities which are only partially funded by the state.
Market Participant exception.
That clearly applies to states. I wonder if it has been legally tested at a municipal level as well.
1. Cities are just subdivisions of a state, and thus derive all their powers and limitations from the state.
2. If that were not so then cities would not be subject to the dormant commerce clause at all, and would be free to do whatever they liked. The entire premise of Henry’s question depends on cities being part of states and thus subject to their restrictions.
That says you can favor residents. It doesn’t say you can cut nonresidents out.
The former is common in university fees, hunting licenses, parks and campgrounds. Can you name cases of the latter?
Why would you not be able to cut them out? What law says that you must sell to nonresidents? The question was about the Dormant Commerce Clause, which forbids states from erecting trade barriers with each other; the market participant exception says that when the state itself is a party to a transaction that’s not a trade barrier, so the question is answered. The Dormant Commerce Clause doesnt’ apply. So what other law would be violated?
14th Amendment? Mamdani wants tax payer funded grocery stores to provide essential food items (booze, smokes, microwave meals, …?) at prices 30% below market rates to protect those who can’t afford shop prices. Poverty isn’t restricted to NYC residents so the ID requirement is denying those within NYC, but not residents, equal protection under the law.
I’m skeptical that a good lawyer couldn’t find some form of unlawful discrimination in the proposal.
The pushback on the insanity of ID for shopping was almost instantaneous and Mamdani quickly back pedaled. But he won’t be distracted by that. He will come up with some idea new just as outrageous. Besides, it’s all academic; the stores will be raided within hours of people hoarding or buying to re-sell. How does he propose to manage that…the NYPD? LOL
If I live in Jersey and I go into the city on the weekend to help my grandmother, I can’t buy groceries for her at the city-owned store?
That sucks.
Have your grandmother obtain a card, then identify as her when you go shopping for her.
Obviously you could shop for her.
These stores are not even close to opening yet! All this is just speculation about how they might operate, when and if they ever do open.