Greek-American businessman John Catsimatidis, who built one of New York’s best-known supermarket businesses after arriving in the United States from Greece as an infant, has emerged as a prominent critic of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan to open city-backed grocery stores.
Catsimatidis, the chairman and chief executive of Red Apple Group and owner of the Gristedes supermarket chain, warned that government-backed stores could put public authorities in direct competition with private businesses.
The criticism comes as Mamdani moves forward with a plan to establish five municipal grocery stores, one in each of New York City’s five boroughs. The initiative is designed to reduce food costs by offering a selection of essential products at prices the city says will be about 30 percent below typical retail levels.
Catsimatidis questioned whether the government should be entering a business already served by thousands of private retailers, particularly small supermarkets and neighborhood grocery stores operating on narrow profit margins.
“The government is going to be competing against its own citizens,” Catsimatidis said in comments reported by Fox News, arguing that taxpayer-supported stores could gain an advantage over privately owned businesses.
From Nisyros to New York’s supermarket business
The debate carries particular significance for Catsimatidis, whose own story reflects the Greek immigrant experience in America.
Born on the Greek island of Nisyros, he arrived in New York with his family as a young child. He went on to build a business empire that includes supermarkets, real estate, energy and media, becoming one of the most prominent Greek-American entrepreneurs in the United States.
His Gristedes chain has operated in New York for decades, making him a familiar figure in the city’s highly competitive grocery industry.
Mamdani’s administration, however, argues that the proposed municipal stores are aimed at addressing the growing cost of food and improving access to affordable groceries. Under the plan, the city would invest $70 million in the initiative, while outside operators would handle day-to-day management of the stores.
The proposal has opened a broader debate over whether government intervention can lower prices without disrupting existing businesses.
For Catsimatidis, the concern is straightforward: if city-backed stores use public funding to offer groceries at prices private retailers cannot match, independent supermarkets could struggle to compete.
Whether Mamdani’s grocery experiment delivers cheaper food without damaging New York’s private grocery sector remains to be seen. But the plan has already created an unusual political and business battle—one that now places a Greek-American supermarket entrepreneur at the center of one of New York City’s most closely watched policy debates.
Related: Greek-American Billionaire Catsimatidis Threatens to Leave New York Over Mamdani’s Policies
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