Bodegas are one of New York City’s oldest and largest neighborhood institutions, with more than 10,000 spread across the city’s five boroughs. But this century-old industry is fighting to stay alive under rising rents, cutthroat competition, and Zohran Mamdani’s city-run grocery initiative. Behind the scenes, mom-and-pop businesses are hustling to stay in the game, whether it’s a fourth-generation bakery supplying New York corner stores or a family-run bodega cooking up the next hit sandwich. In a city run and built by immigrants, bodegas aren’t just another sandwich shop on the block; they’re a community staple.
