NYCEDC Issues Request for Proposals (RFP) for Design Firm to Develop “N.Y.C. Groceries” Brand Identity

A Vibrant Brand Identity Will Help Bring New York City’s First City-Supported Grocery Stores to Life and Connect New Yorkers to Affordable and Healthy Food Options

First Store Expected to Open Next Year, with Plans to Open All Five by End of Current Mayoral Term

NEW YORK, NY—New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) from branding and design firms to develop the visual identity for “N.Y.C. Groceries,” a new network of five city-supported grocery stores, one in each borough. In partnership with NYCEDC and the Mamdani Administration, the selected firm will create a vibrant, cohesive brand that helps New Yorkers recognize, access, and feel welcome in each store. The brand will also inform physical in-store elements such as signage, private label branding, and customer experience.

“When you walk into a city-owned grocery store, we want you to feel the City's commitment to you—a store that's welcoming, unmistakably New York, and built around the goal of putting affordable, high-quality food on your family's table,” said Mayor Mamdani. “The design firm we select through this RFP will help bring that vision of affordability and public excellence to life.”

“Building five grocery stores that serve every corner of this city is a major undertaking, and we're approaching every piece of it with care—the operator we select, the products on the shelves, and the brand that welcomes New Yorkers through the door,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. “A store that feels excellent is a store people use, and a store people use is one that delivers on the promise of affordable, high-quality food for every neighborhood we serve.”

“Creating a compelling brand identity for New York City’s first-ever city-run grocery stores is a key step toward delivering on the promise of making groceries more affordable and accessible,” said NYCEDC Interim President & CEO Jeanny Pak. “We are excited to partner with design experts who will help ensure these stores are easy to find, welcoming to all, and truly serve communities across the five boroughs.”

Grocery costs in New York City have risen nearly 66% over the past decade—significantly outpacing the national average. The N.Y.C. Groceries Initiative, first announced in April, aims to deliver affordable, high-quality groceries that provide meaningful savings to New Yorkers and strengthen neighborhood food access citywide. Two sites have been selected to date to serve as store locations: La Marqueta in East Harlem—where a 9,000-square-foot store will be constructed from the ground up—and The Peninsula in the Bronx—where a 20,000-square-foot store is expected to open in 2027 as the initiative’s first location. Mayor Mamdani has allocated $70 million in capital funding to develop the five grocery store sites.

Mayor Mamdani and NYCEDC have also launched the N.Y.C. Groceries Sites Portal to identify potential locations for additional stores in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Property owners with eligible sites are encouraged to submit them through the portal for consideration. The administration plans to open all five sites by the end of the current mayoral term.

The selected firm will be responsible for delivering:

• Brand Research, Strategy, and Concepting: Deep dive analysis on industry trends, consumer habits, the competitive landscape, and bespoke focus group interviews to uncover insights that will inform the brand positioning.
• Visual Identity and Design Application: Multiple rounds of creative ideation related to the brand identity, including product private labeling, branded merchandise, and mockups of the brand’s in-store manifestation.
• Architecture and Engineering Collaboration: Deployment of the brand standards during the design development stage of each store.

Under the model, the City will own the land and cover overhead costs like rent and construction. A private operator, who will be selected through a request for proposals that NYCEDC plans to issue this summer, will manage daily operations and be contractually required to pass savings directly to customers on a core basket of everyday staples.

The administration also recently announced the creation of an N.Y.C. Groceries Task Force, led by Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. The task force will convene City agencies, industry experts, and local small business owners to guide implementation.

For more information, please visit the N.Y.C. Groceries RFP webpage. Proposals must be submitted to NYCEDC by Tuesday, June 30 at 4:00 PM ET.

About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.