Bread Lines or Bargains? Zohran Mamdani’s Plan to Turn NYC Groceries into the DMV

Imagine walking into your local grocery store, but instead of vibrant aisles stocked with your favorite brands, you’re greeted by long lines, sparse shelves, and a clerk asking for your ID to buy a loaf of bread. This could be the reality if the government took over grocery stores and managed them like the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). While the idea might sound far-fetched, it’s worth exploring what such a system would look like—and why it could spell trouble for consumers. Enter Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, whose bold proposal to launch city-owned grocery stores is turning this dystopia into a real-world debate.

The DMV Experience: A Blueprint for InefficiencyAnyone who’s visited the DMV knows the drill: take a number, wait an hour, and navigate a maze of forms and rules. Now, picture that same bureaucracy applied to your weekly grocery run. The DMV’s reputation for long wait times, rigid procedures, and indifferent service offers a glimpse into what government-run grocery stores might become. Here’s how it could play out:

• Endless Lines and Limited Hours: Forget popping into the store after work. Government-run groceries might operate on a strict 9-to-5 schedule, closed on weekends and holidays. Need milk at 7 PM? You’re out of luck. And when you do get in, expect to wait—potentially for hours—just to grab a cart, as understaffed stores struggle to keep up with demand.

• Bare Shelves and Generic Goods: A government-run system would likely prioritize uniformity over variety. Instead of choosing between organic avocados or budget-friendly brands, you’d find a limited selection of generic, state-approved items. Specialty products like gluten-free snacks or plant-based meats? Probably not an option. Historical examples, like Soviet-era food stores, show how centralized planning often leads to empty shelves and low-quality goods when supply chains falter.

• Paperwork and Restrictions: Buying groceries could feel like renewing your driver’s license. Want to purchase alcohol, sugary snacks, or even a second bag of rice? You might need to fill out forms, show ID, or wait in a separate “restricted items” line. In extreme cases, ration cards could limit how much you can buy, especially during shortages.

• No Discounts, No Innovation: The free market drives grocery stores to compete with loyalty programs, weekly deals, and online ordering. A government-run system, lacking competition, would have little incentive to innovate. Expect no apps for home delivery, no seasonal promotions, and no responsiveness to local tastes. Every store would feel like a carbon copy, whether you’re in New York or New Mexico.

A Real-World Test Case: Zohran Mamdani's "NYC Public Markets"

This isn't just theory—it's on the ballot in New York City's November 2025 mayoral race. Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and Queens assemblymember, has made city-owned grocery stores a cornerstone of his platform to combat 20%+ food inflation since 2020. His "NYC Public Markets" plan calls for a pilot network of five municipally owned stores—one in each borough—built on city land in food deserts, selling staples like produce and dairy at wholesale prices to undercut corporate chains. Funded by a proposed $10 billion tax hike on millionaires (2% on incomes over $1M) and corporations, the stores would skip rent and property taxes to pass savings to shoppers, partner with local farmers (prioritizing those of color), and create union jobs.

Mamdani pitches it as competition, not control: "Without having to pay rent or property taxes, they will reduce overhead and pass on savings to shoppers," he says on his campaign site. A March 2025 poll showed two-thirds of NYC voters support the idea, resonating in underserved Bronx and Brooklyn neighborhoods. But critics, including supermarket owners like John Catsimatidis, warn of "Soviet-style disasters," with threats to shutter stores if it passes. Real-world pilots, like Erie, Kansas's city-bought market (which bled money after one profitable month) or Chicago's explorations, highlight the risks of mismanagement and shortages.

Why It Could Happen—and Why It Might Not Work

The idea of government-run grocery stores often stems from calls for price controls or efforts to ensure “equity” in food access. While well-intentioned, these policies could backfire. Centralized systems struggle to adapt to the complex, fast-moving demands of food supply chains. When prices are capped to keep goods “affordable,” suppliers often cut back, leading to shortages. Social media platforms like X, Facebook, and Truth Social have echoed these concerns, with users pointing to government overreach as a recipe for inefficiency.

History backs this up. In countries with heavily state-controlled food systems, like Venezuela or the former Soviet Union, citizens faced chronic shortages, long lines, and black markets for basic goods. Even well-meaning interventions, like price controls during inflation, often disrupt the delicate balance of supply and demand that keeps shelves stocked.

The Case for Market-Driven Food Systems

Private grocery stores, for all their flaws, thrive on competition. They’re incentivized to offer better prices, wider selections, and convenient services to win your business. A DMV-style system, by contrast, would likely prioritize cost-cutting and uniformity over customer satisfaction. The result? A frustrating, one-size-fits-all experience that leaves consumers with fewer choices and less access to the foods they love. Mamdani's plan could force positive change through competition—or become the cautionary tale we've imagined.

What Can We Do?

Awareness is the first step. Understanding the pitfalls of centralized control can help us advocate for policies that balance affordability with efficiency. Supporting local farmers, co-ops, and competitive markets can keep food systems resilient. If you’re concerned about rising grocery costs, reach out to policymakers to address root causes like supply chain disruptions or inflation, rather than pushing for government takeovers. In NYC, that means scrutinizing plans like Mamdani's before they stock the shelves.

The next time you breeze through a grocery store, grabbing exactly what you need, take a moment to appreciate the system behind it. A DMV-style grocery store might sound like a distant dystopia, but with elections looming, it's a reminder of how quickly convenience and choice can erode under the weight of bureaucracy.