Fernando Mateo speaks with Bronx supermarket owner Marvin Cruz to highlight the unsustainable challenges facing small businesses in New York City. The conversation centers on the rise of unregulated street vendors who sell produce and perishables directly outside established stores, creating a competitive disadvantage for tax-paying owners burdened by high overhead and strict health inspections. Cruz explains that this loss of revenue forces a painful domino effect, leading to the dismissal of local employees and the potential collapse of essential community infrastructure.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices