Inside the Bakery Where NYC’s Bodegas Get Their Bread

Bodegas are one of New York City’s oldest and largest neighborhood institutions, with more than 10,000 spread across the city’s five boroughs. But this century-old industry is fighting to stay alive under rising rents, cutthroat competition, and Zohran Mamdani’s city-run grocery initiative. Behind the scenes, mom-and-pop businesses are hustling to stay in the game, whether it’s a fourth-generation bakery supplying New York corner stores or a family-run bodega cooking up the next hit sandwich. In a city run and built by immigrants, bodegas aren’t just another sandwich shop on the block; they’re a community staple.