The Untapped Potential of Bodegas — A Civic Forum
By: James O'Brien
Tags: Bodegas, Civic Engagement, Innovation, NYC

Photo: Shawn Hoke/Flickr

The corner store has many names and will be identified differently depending on who you speak to — some people call it the “supermarket” while others refer to it as a “convenience store”. Here in NYC, however, most of us refer to it as the bodega. According to a recent analysis completed by Grubstreet there are more than 8,000 bodegas in New York City. In Mayoral Candidate Andrew Yang’s neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, there is a reported “…seven bodegas for every supermarket. In Bed-Stuy, the ratio was a startling 57:1, highlighting that bodegas, especially during the era of COVID-19, may be the only grocery option for many low-income families” according to the Grubstreet article.

While the New York City Department of Health considers the bodega an unhealthy food option, this special institution is more than a local grocer. It provides a community hub or centerpiece, a cultural backdrop, and for many New Yorkers a culturally competent public forum to share information. This begs the question of “how can the bodega be seen as a culturally recognized institution for public engagement?”

A Trusted Institution

The bodega — regardless of the name you call it by — is a well known institution in NYC and many other metropolitan areas across the country. The bodega has always been multifaceted in the various roles it serves in a community, with its importance being further highlighted by food disparities in underserved populations coming to light during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic exacerbated issues of food insecurity and accessibility to healthy food that plagues urban communities — especially in NYC neighborhoods East New York and East Harlem. For many community members battling these problems, they turned to the place they’ve trusted for years to provide them with much needed provisions — the bodega.

A Community Hub

As a trusted provider of groceries, household supplies, and a much needed chopped cheese after a long day, the bodega earned its place as a community hub decades ago. These small businesses have won the trust of their respective communities, as they were there when larger institutions were not. Even the CDC recognizes the importance of the bodega as a pillar in the community, coming to the conclusion that owners and managers of corner stores are a reservoir of “untapped potential” when it comes to community engagement.

Bodegas are uniquely positioned to be a liaison between their community and the entities trying to reach that community. Bodega staff interact with their communities on a daily basis and oftentimes are tuned into the unique and nuanced problems that people face within their community. The next time you find yourself at a loss for engaging one of your metropolitan populations, I implore you — get creative and consider the bodega.

It Doesn’t Get Easier

Engaging communities that have been historically and continue to be disenfranchised in our country is difficult. It’s hard work — work that requires time, dedication, and a little creativity. But it’s work that needs to be done and those doing it need to have their boots on the ground. Bridging the distrust gap between communities and local government will take time but it’s work that will leave the communities you serve better than you found them. Consider the work of The Bodega Makeover Project and foster relationships with local bodegas. One may call this practice human centered design but we see this as a model for co-design and collaboration.