The Bodega Report Project: An Examination of the Economic Impact of Neighborhood Grocers in New York City
Semester
The bodega is a classic economic entity in the New York City economy. Corner stores can be found on nearly every block in many neighborhoods throughout the city. In recent years, different types of interventions have been tested to improve availability of healthy food options in bodegas and other local stores. However, there has been no consensus or strict criteria for the defining characteristics that constitute a bodega.
Urbane Development, Public Health Solutions, and City Harvest enlisted a team of students from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs to study the bodega and its owners in the context of New York City neighborhoods. Building upon existing research, the goal was to step back from more narrowly-defined studies and specific policy driven interventions to build a robust foundational understanding of the bodega, its operations, and its collective economic significance in New York City. The team began their research with the following hypothesis: Bodegas are not reaching their potential from an economic standpoint, both as a small business and as a community asset.