Immigrant business owners threaten lawsuit over Mamdani grocery stores
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Fox News Digital confirmed Wednesday that several immigrant business owners are preparing to sue New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his plan to establish city-owned grocery stores.
New York Post It was first reported Tuesday that the Multicultural Business Coalition (MBC) board of directors voted to file a lawsuit against the city over Mamdani’s plan to open five taxpayer-funded grocery stores that would sell food at prices up to 30% below traditional retailers.
MBC plans to send a letter to Mamdani’s office in the coming days detailing its upcoming legal plans to protect rival stores, taverns and other small businesses, according to MBC President Frank Garcia. If Mamdani does not respond or meet with the organization within the next three weeks, the group plans to take further legal action.
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The Multicultural Business Coalition announced New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s efforts to take legal action against taxpayer-funded grocery stores. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
” [New York City] The commissioner said this administration is open to talking to anyone and they want to hear from everyone,” Garcia said. “So I’ve been waiting for a meeting for several months. Why don’t they take me?”
“We are ready to file a lawsuit if the mayor does not meet with us,” he added.
Garcia also emphasized that the lawsuit is a nonpartisan initiative and is primarily focused on raising awareness of small business owners struggling with rising costs in New York City. Although the case has not yet been filed, he said his lawyers will be “ready to go” by the end of the three-week period, thanks to extensive support from other organizations.
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New York City bodega and business owners have expressed concerns about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s grocery store initiative. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images; Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
“We are not partisan. So we will meet with everyone, whether Republican or Democrat. There was a Democratic Jewish organization. There were others we would meet with. [along with] civil rights organizations. We will join with all the different civil rights organizations that are willing to support this and have the funds to finance this,” Garcia said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
MBC, was founded at the beginning of this year It consists of members from the African, Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic, Jewish and Middle Eastern business communities who oppose Mamdani’s grocery initiative. The organization has also received broad support from city and state lawmakers, such as New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani also faced legal backlash from landlords due to his rent freeze decision. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
The lawsuit announcement came after Mamdani revealed more details about his city-backed grocery stores, which have been re-criticized as a “communist fantasy”.
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Mamdani also faces a lawsuit from New York City landlords hoping to overturn the city’s rent freeze.
