New York City lawmakers are looking to ease a long-standing bottleneck in the street food economy, as a City Council bill seeks to significantly expand the number of legal vending permits and curb a thriving underground market. Intro 431-B, sponsored by Council Member Pierina Sanchez, would issue about 2,200 new supervisory licenses over the next five years, alongside expanded training programs and stronger enforcement measures.
Mayor-elect Zohran Kwame Mamdani has backed the proposal, arguing that faster permit processing could help lower everyday food prices at street carts. Popular staples like chicken over rice now sell for around $10, up from $8 just a few years ago. With an estimated 20,000 aspiring vendors stuck on waitlists, supporters say the bill could open a legal pathway for many immigrant entrepreneurs. Critics, however, question whether the measure goes far enough to meaningfully reduce costs or address pollution concerns tied to generators used by food trucks.
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Mamdani wrote on X, “It’s time for street vendor reform in NYC. Tomorrow, the City Council is voting on a bill (Intro 431-B) that will do just that (and help with halal-flation). My Administration will make sure the work doesn’t stop with this bill and guarantee we process new licenses, staff our enforcement agencies, and allow street vendors—the heart of New York City—to operate with dignity,” resharing a post he had originally shared in January.
In January, Mamdani had posted a video in which he was recorded speaking with a street vendor. “New York is suffering from a crisis, and it’s called halal inflation. Today, we’re going to get to the bottom of this. How much does a plate of halal cost right now from this truck? $10. $10? Yeah. When you’re a street vendor, you have to pay for the food, the plates. How much do you have to pay for your apartment? Before it was 22K. Twenty, 17, thousand. How much does a license cost if you get it from the city? I think $400. Who are you paying? The permit owner. You’re not paying the city? No. You pay the permit owner $22,000 just so you can sell this food? Yes. Who is this? A random guy. Have you ever applied for a permit? Yeah, I’m applied and no come or anything. It’s long wait. I’m number 3,800 something. After two years, you’re number 3,800? Yes.”
The conversation continued with Mamdani referring to a broader Street Vendor Reform Package that includes four bills: Intro 431 (Access to Business Licensing), Intro 47 (Repeal Criminal Liability), Intro 408 (Services for Vendors), and Intro 24 (Reform Siting Rules), “which would give these vendors their own permits and make your halal more affordable.” Mamdani added, “But Eric Adams hasn’t said a single word about them.”
“If I was the mayor, I’d be working with city council from day one to make halal $8 again. How does it taste? It tastes like $10, but it should be $8,” the video ended, framing Mamdani’s campaign promise around what he described as one of New York City’s pressing quality-of-life issues.
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After Mamdani reshared the post with updated context, social media users weighed in with sharply divided reactions. One user commented, “Standing with street vendors from the start 🥙💛🗽Thank you @ZohranKMamdani for your Administration’s commitment to fully implementing @CMPiSanchez Intro 431-B.” Another wrote, “Brother I voted for you but we need to do something about the fucking generators from these trucks. They’re horrible absolutely fucking horrible. Ice cream trucks too. There has to be a better way.”
“One of the few issues Zohran’s been good on. We need less bureaucracy and once upon a time this was a cause celebré of conservatives and moderate reformers on the center left,” one user wrote while resharing Mamdani’s post. Another commented, “Just the fact that this smiling jihadi taqqiya clown is using the word halal-flation means that the Muslim population problem is massive in NYC. So basically we have 9/11 25 years ago and somehow instead of keeping them out, they make up a huge population in our largest city…🙄.”