New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that President Donald Trump has agreed to give grocery stores and bodegas a 90-day extension to comply with new federal food stamp rules, following direct conversations between Mamdani, Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
“We are together to announce a victory on behalf of working people and small business owners, both here in our city and across the country. I’ve spoken to President Trump and Secretary Rollins,” Mamdani said at a press conference, “and as a result of those conversations, the President has agreed to give small business owners at least a 90-day extension to comply with a rule that would have affected tens of thousands of SNAP-accepting grocery stores and bodegas nationwide.”
“That extension starts today,” Mamdani added. “I want to thank the president and the secretary for their consideration of New Yorkers and the hardships that this would’ve imposed on millions of Americans. In doing this, President Trump has delivered relief to small business owners across our city and across America.”
The underlying rule traces back to a September 4 guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which laid out new stocking requirements for stores that accept SNAP benefits. Retailers were told they needed to carry seven varieties of food in each of four categories: dairy, grains, proteins, and fruits and vegetables.
Mamdani said the standards were an easy lift for large grocery chains but a serious burden for small, independent operators. “These were significantly expanded standards, mandating that retail locations include seven varieties of food in four different categories: dairy, grains, proteins, and fruits and vegetables,” Mamdani said. “For corporate grocery giants, these requirements posed little challenge. But the story was different for our neighborhood corner stores and bodegas.”
The mayor had previously asked Rollins for a six-month delay in adhering to the new guidelines, according to the New York Post. Mamdani said he made that request after owners of 100 of the city’s more than 10,000 bodegas contacted City Hall about the impact the rule would have on their businesses.
