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NYC residents queue for free groceries at West Village Polymarket pop-up
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On Sunday, in a busy stretch of eating places and boutiques within the West Village, a whole lot of New Yorkers lined up for a pop-up retailer providing free groceries.
“New Yorkers are hurting,” mentioned Nick from Queens, New York, one of many individuals Fox Information Digital interviewed outdoors the pop-up, as he waited for pasta sauce, tub cleaning soap and a bag of Tide Pods.
The scene was underscored by town’s issues with the price of residing and considerations about who would get a yellow ticket permitting entry to the small retailer earlier than the products had been “bought out.”
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The pop-up was opened on February 12 as a five-day retailer by cryptocurrency-based prediction market Polymarket. It comes as New York’s Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani advances a proposal for city-run supermarkets geared toward easing rising meals prices and broader pressures on affordability.
It was billed as New York Metropolis’s first free grocery retailer, and critics referred to as it a stunt on Mamdani’s proposal, because the prediction market firm faces elevated criticism from regulators in a number of states, together with New York.
Nick from Queens speaks with Fox Information Digital outdoors The Polymarket. (Fox Information Digital)
Consumers characterised The Polymarket — which was separate from town’s Mamdani-led effort to open backed supermarkets in every of New York Metropolis’s 5 boroughs — as a teachable second for the mayor, as residents cited security considerations, ran out of meals and folks lower strains.
The giveaway drew residents from throughout the 5 boroughs: some arriving earlier than dawn, others exhibiting up mid-morning in hopes of getting a yellow ticket and a spot in line across the block.
Speeding for tickets
However as the group grew, so did the stress.
Folks in line advised Fox Information Digital Sunday they feared that they had made the journey in useless.
“I actually obtained right here at 9 o’clock… and mainly what they mentioned is that they had been out of tickets,” a lady named Fatima advised Fox Information Digital.
One other man, Sherrod from Jamaica, Queens, mentioned the identical factor occurred to him.
“They advised me they had been out of tickets,” he mentioned. ‘I could not get any extra meals. I used to be denied entry to the shop.”
Sherrod, a resident of New York Metropolis, speaks with Fox Information Digital outdoors The Polymarket on February 15, 2026. (Fox Information Digital)
Fatima and Sherrod spoke after safety guards started pushing individuals out of the block shortly after 9 a.m., when the primary batch of tickets ran out. A number of customers mentioned they had been advised to go away the realm and return round 1:30 p.m. for an additional likelihood — and to not linger on the sidewalk whereas ticket holders walked via the shop.
“Let’s go individuals, let’s go. Go residence,” a safety guard standing outdoors the Polymarket was heard shouting on the crowd simply after 9am on Sunday. ‘Do not linger, do not look, do not look. Please go residence.”
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Consumers had been advised the pop-up would open at midday and shut at 3 p.m., or till provides run out. Ticket holders had been admitted just a few at a time and paired with an worker to fill a blue tote bag without cost.
New Yorkers lined up within the West Village as Polymarket opened its first-ever free grocery pop-up retailer in New York Metropolis, providing guests free meals gadgets. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu through Getty Photos)
Polymarket funded and operated the pop-up, an organization consultant advised Fox Information Digital, and the prediction market additionally donated $1 million to the Meals Financial institution for New York Metropolis as a part of the trouble.
The consultant mentioned Polymarket additionally gave $50 present playing cards to some clients who ended up in the back of the road and had been turned away, in an effort to “be as accommodating as potential.”
Some customers criticized the setup – and the frantic seek for tickets – whereas early arrivals mentioned safety stored the road secure.
“The safety was phenomenal,” mentioned Nick, who was fourth in line and obtained a ticket with none issues. ‘This morning there was a drunk man right here harassing a girl. And I advised him he needed to go. And the top safety man noticed that we had been in bother, and he did his job and obtained him out of right here. He protected us.’
Michael, a New York Metropolis resident, spoke to Fox Information Digital outdoors The Polymarket, which was providing free groceries to these in want. (Fox Information Digital)
One other resident, Michael, advised Fox Information Digital: “I’ve seen a mixture of issues, like safety must work on their presentation, coping with clients from flowery backgrounds… as a result of they do not have the customer support experience.”
Michael arrange a chair outdoors the grocery store and spent the morning watching customers go out and in of the shop, however he wasn’t in line. He advised Fox Information Digital that he solely had three cups of soup left in his cabinet, however he doubted there can be sufficient groceries left at The Polymarket on the finish of the day to replenish his pantry.
Prediction market firm Polymarket is making ready to open a free grocery store in Manhattan on February 12, 2026 in New York Metropolis. (Spencer Platt/Getty Photos)
The road drew all walks of life: individuals with disabilities, working New Yorkers in search of a monetary increase, residents in search of the homeless, New Yorkers residing in shelters and others who did not communicate English.
Brooklynite Sumayah mentioned she visited the pop-up earlier this week and managed to seize “two dozen eggs and a few butter” earlier than the provides ran out. She has been unemployed for greater than two months and is at present on incapacity. A free grocery journey may save her about $600 a month in meals and family provides.
Sumayah mentioned the method inside might really feel awkward for some, citing customers paired with somebody to information them via the aisles.
“Somebody is purchasing with me and that makes me really feel slightly uncomfortable,” she mentioned. “I perceive it too, as a result of typically you may need individuals who wish to overdo it and get 10 of one thing… however the individual I used to be with pushed me via issues and I could not get all of the issues I wished.”
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Nonetheless, Sumayah mentioned her total expertise was “fairly calm and quiet” and referred to as the pop-up “very wanted in New York.” She mentioned the turnout alone confirmed how extensively the necessity is spreading – and the way shortly phrase of free groceries is spreading.
Known as ‘The Polymarket’, New York Metropolis obtained its first free grocery store for 5 days in February. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu through Getty Photos)
“I even met a lady yesterday who got here from India and he or she mentioned, ‘Oh my God, I am standing in line. I am coming to get free meals,’” Sumayah mentioned. “I believe: how am I imagined to get again on the aircraft with that?”
Sumayah referred to as on native leaders to put in city-run shops to make sure such customers are secure whereas ready in strains for items — together with from neighbors sad with the strains — whereas Sherrod referred to as for a potential effort by town to be higher “organized” and “be taught from this.”
Nick added that such shops needs to be positioned immediately in impoverished areas and meals deserts, removed from the rich streets of Manhattan.
Hammering prices
Practically everybody in line – whether or not they had a ticket or not – expressed that meals prices within the metropolis had been sky-high they usually wanted assist.
“Shoot, I spent a mean of $300 to $500 on groceries,” mentioned Jaquan, who took the A practice to go to the market on Sunday morning. “I used to reside with my mom, in order that made it worse. Proper now I am homeless and residing in a drop-in heart.”
Mary, a resident of New York Metropolis, speaks with Fox Information Digital outdoors The Polymarket. (Fox Information Digital)
One other Massive Apple resident, Monique, mentioned she “lately” spent $200 on groceries and “did not even get a lot.” Sherrod, who mentioned he has a household of 4, estimates his month-to-month grocery bills at about $400 to $500 and described the free groceries as an actual assist.
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Nick mentioned it was value ready hours to get a ticket, noting it will save him cash as different prices would pile up.
“I’ve turned to quick meals and it’s negatively affecting my well being,” he mentioned, including that he was already a month behind on his cellphone invoice as a result of groceries got here first.
The Polymarket provided contemporary vegetables and fruit, in addition to branded gadgets present in typical supermarkets. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu through Getty Photos)
The greater than 300 individuals who obtained tickets via the door had been pleased with the proceeds.
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“I obtained the spaghetti. I obtained the orange juice. I like orange juice,” Nick from Queens mentioned after strolling via the shop. “I additionally obtained some floor beef. They’d grass-fed floor beef, that they had lean floor beef and the common floor beef, so I am glad I obtained that. I am actually glad I obtained grass-fed.”