{"id":28835,"date":"2026-08-05T18:18:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T13:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=28835"},"modified":"2026-08-05T18:18:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T13:18:43","slug":"former-grocer-warns-mamdani-grocery-stores-will-hurt-small-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=28835","title":{"rendered":"Former grocer warns Mamdani grocery stores will hurt small businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">A former grocer is joining the chorus of criticism against <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1042919\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/new-york-city\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">New York City<\/a> Mayor Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s plan for government-run grocery stores, arguing it would harm hundreds of small businesses forced to compete with them.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">&#8220;That supermarket will just bleed red the entire time it&#8217;s open, from the first time you turn the key until it closes,&#8221; Rep. Mike Rulli, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital. &#8220;And I would bet the farm there&#8217;s no way these grocery stores last more than five years \u2014 they might not even last a year.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Rulli grew up with his family&#8217;s Ohio-based grocery store chain, Rulli Brothers, which is now run by his brothers.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1042920\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/experts-scorch-mamdanis-grocery-plan-illusion-taxpayers-footing-bill\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>EXPERTS SCORCH MAMDANI&#8217;S GROCERY PLAN AS AN &#8216;ILLUSION&#8217; THAT WILL HAVE TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/mamdani-socialist-grocery-food-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/mamdani-socialist-grocery-food-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/mamdani-socialist-grocery-food-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/mamdani-socialist-grocery-food-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/mamdani-socialist-grocery-food-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"mamdani-socialist-grocery-food-fox-news\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds up bananas as he speaks at a food distribution center on July 27, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.<\/span> <span>(Spencer Platt\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Rulli said his family&#8217;s small but thriving two-location business has given him an appreciation for the challenges facing small business owners in New York City, whom he argued would be harmed by competition from Mamdani&#8217;s city-run stores.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;You will put hundreds of these small businesses out of business. And a lot of these businesses are owned by immigrants,&#8221; Rulli said. &#8220;So I mean, I don&#8217;t think the mayor could possibly have asked for a worse situation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1042921\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/ny-governor-hopeful-vows-showdown-mamdani-socialist-agenda-stop\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>NY GOVERNOR HOPEFUL VOWS SHOWDOWN WITH MAMDANI OVER SOCIALIST AGENDA: \u2018I WILL STOP HIM\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Mamdani, the <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1042922\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/socialism\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Democratic socialist<\/a> mayor of New York City, unveiled a plan for <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1042923\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/socialist-mamdani-touts-government-run-grocery-plan-grand-experiment-grocery-new-site\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">government-funded grocery stores<\/a> while on the campaign trail. The city has since committed $70 million to constructing one store in each of the five boroughs, with an aim to open all five by 2030.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/343\/192\/mike-rulli-ohio.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/686\/384\/mike-rulli-ohio.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/672\/378\/mike-rulli-ohio.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1344\/756\/mike-rulli-ohio.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/mike-rulli-ohio.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Rep. Mike Rulli of Ohio\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, testifies during a House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials hearing on &#8220;Rail safety in the aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment&#8221; in Washington, District of Columbia, on July 23, 2024.<\/span> <span>(Samuel Corum\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Mamdani discussed the agreement during a recent news conference, saying, &#8220;Once a month, our <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1042924\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/politics\/elections\/local\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">five city-run grocery stores<\/a> will set prices for this core set of goods at 30% below typical retail prices.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1042925\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/opinion\/mamdanis-city-grocery-plan-could-leave-taxpayers-paying-every-banana\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>MAMDANI\u2019S CITY GROCERY PLAN COULD LEAVE TAXPAYERS PAYING FOR EVERY BANANA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">While the plan has been cheered by progressives, it has been panned by business groups such as the Multicultural Business Coalition, which <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1042926\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/28\/business\/immigrant-led-business-group-votes-to-sue-nyc-over-mamdanis-taxpayer-funded-grocery-stores\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">the New York Post reported<\/a> was threatening to sue Mamdani.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Rulli, noting that grocery stores already operate on thin profit margins, said Mamdani&#8217;s government shops will likely be &#8220;operating at a loss the entire time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;When you think about the grocery industry, [it] runs on about 27% gross. That&#8217;s before you pay your bills. Once you pay your bills, you&#8217;re about one-and-a-quarter, one-and-half-percent net,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_1042928\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">That, he argued, would make it a drain on taxpayers as long as they remained open.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;This is the biggest mistake the mayor has made,&#8221; Rulli said.<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.<\/p>\n<p>Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A former grocer is joining the chorus of criticism against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s plan for government-run grocery stores, arguing it would harm hundreds of small businesses forced to compete with them. &#8220;That supermarket will just bleed red the entire time it&#8217;s open, from the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/mamdani-socialist-grocery-food-fox-news.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28835"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28835\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}