Mamdani scores a win for small businesses after striking SNAP deal with Trump

The 90-day extension offers a reprieve to thousands of small businesses and bodegas, as more than 36 million Americans currently rely on SNAP and more than 250,000 retailers are authorized to accept SNAP payments.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Friday that he reached an agreement with President Donald Trump to grant bodegas and small retailers nationwide an additional 90 days to comply with new federal requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The regulations, which initially took effect on November 4, required participating retailers to carry at minimum seven varieties of staple foods across categories ranging from meat, dairy, grains and vegetables. Stores must also meet a minimum fresh-food stocking requirement or risk losing their SNAP benefits for at least 6 months.

Mamdani’s agreement with Trump provides temporary relief to thousands of neighborhood stores that were at risk of losing their ability to accept food stamps under the new federal requirements.

“We share USDA’s goal of improving the quality and variety of food available to SNAP participants,” Mamdani wrote in his letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. “But a policy designed to expand access to nutritious food must not inadvertently make that food harder to obtain.”

New York City has nearly 10,000 bodegas, many of which serve predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods. According to the mayor’s office, SNAP purchases account for 15 to 20 percent of a typical bodega’s sales. In some communities in the Bronx, sales can reach as high as 30 percent. Mamdani previously told reporters that nearly 26,500 New Yorkers lost their SNAP benefits under stricter federal work requirements.

The extension comes as the Trump administration continues to implement significant changes to SNAP that could reduce access to food assistance across the country.

Mamdani called the agreement a victory for small business owners. Despite their political differences, Mamdani and Trump have developed a working relationship, a relationship Mamdani touted by having a direct line with the President when it came to the matter.

“Without more time, many of these stores risked losing the ability to accept SNAP—threatening their livelihoods and making it harder for families to put food on the table,” Mamdani said.

More than 36 million Americans use SNAP benefits, and more than 250,000 retailers across the country are authorized to accept SNAP.