The people of New York City got a good taste of communism earlier this week months after electing Marxist Zohran Mamdani for mayor.

As Fox News reported, a pop-up shop opened up on Sunday for five days in the West Village to offer free groceries to impoverished New Yorkers and people simply looking for an easy lunch. The outlet notes this comes Mayor Mamdani advanced one of his key campaign promises: city-run grocery stores aimed at lowering food costs.

The store, which is called The Polymarket, was opened by a cryptocurrency-based prediction market with the same name. The Polymarket offered yellow ticket granting NYC residents entry to the little store.

Much like communist countries like Cuba, lines grew quite long in a hurry with residents across all five New York City boroughs flocked to get some ‘free’ stuff.

What happened next was entirely predictable to anyone who understands basic economics. The store ran out of tickets and food, while several individuals decided to cut in line.

From Fox News:

Shoppers characterized The Polymarket — which was separate from Mamdani-led efforts to unveil city-owned, subsidized grocery stores in each of the five New York City boroughs — as a learning moment for the mayor as residents cited concerns with security, running out of food and people cutting lines.

“I literally got here at 9:00 … and basically what they said is that they ran out of tickets,” a woman named Fatima told Fox News Digital.

Another man, Sherrod from Jamaica, Queens, said the same happened to him.

“They told me that they ran out of tickets,” he said. “I couldn’t get no more food.… I couldn’t get access to the store.”

One local was particularly peeved about at lackluster security The Polymarket while also noting the store ran out of food before he could finish shopping:

Another local, Michael, told Fox News Digital: “I’ve seen a mix of things, like security needs to work on their presentation, dealing with the customers who are of florid backgrounds… because they don’t have the customer service expertise.”

Michael set up a chair outside the grocery store, and watched shoppers file in and out of the shop all morning, but was not positioned in line.

He told Fox News Digital that he only had three cups of soup left in his cupboard but was doubtful there would be enough groceries left at The Polymarket at the end of the day for him to stock up his pantry.

Despite the expected issues, there were still other residents like Sumayah who said more free grocery shops are “very much needed” in New York.

If she represents what the majority of Big Apple residents, the city is screwed.

Cullen Linebarger

thegatewaypundit.com/2026/02/watch-first-free-grocery-store-opens-mamdanis-new/