You see, big corporations don’t run “delis”. No, they run
“convenience stores”, and that makes all the difference.
This diary is presented without (much) opinion: just a few facts on
which to chew, and from which to glean.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped to pass a measure that will limit the size of sugary drinks available for purchase in delis, restaurants and movie theaters to 16 ounces, in an effort to tackle the obesity epidemic.
One side effect, however, could be the demise of some neighborhood
delis and bodegas, and the concurrent rise of chain stores like
7-Eleven. Critics say the ban, which is set to come into effect this
spring, cracks down unfairly on small business owners while allowing
some large convenience stores to skirt the rules.
New York City is the land of the mom and pop store, where just about
every restaurant and deli and grocery store is owned by an individual
or a family, trying to fulfill their dream. Within one block of my building
in Queens, there are countless individually-owned restaurants and
pizza places, delis and laundromats. Even the supermarkets are
locally-based chains. Walgreens, CVS, DD, and shitty fast food (KFC
and White Castle) are the only big companies in my neighborhood.
New York City is the land that doesn’t want Walmart, and the land that
fought off the big chains as long as the individual neighborhood
groups and the Borough leadership could muster the fight against the
big moneyed interests.
What prompted me to write this was the realization that while
Bloomberg touts (as the only reason for the ban) the health effects of
easy availability of large sugared drinks, the reality is…
7-Eleven, one of the fastest growing chains in New York City, recently
announced plans to open 30 new locations within the next five years.
The Dallas-based convenience stores will be able to sell all drinks
prohibited under the ban, including their super-sized Big Gulp,
because they are governed by the state health department, and not the
city department, company representatives told ABC/Univision.
Scott Drake, a 7-Eleven spokesperson, told ABC/Univision that his
company will be prepared for any extra traffic that may come to their
stores due to the sugary drinks ban that will affect delis, food carts
and restaurants.
"Any retailer in close proximity to our stores, which sells the same
items as we do is considered competition," 7-Eleven representative
Margaret Chabris wrote in an email "So, it could be a grocery store,
deli, coffee shop or quick-serve restaurant."
…(in other words, all of the mom-and-pop businesses)…and we will crush
them and put them out of business. (oops, he forgot that part of the
quote).
Health reasons? Fuhggeddabboudditt!!!
Go figya.
And I wonder sometimes why I am so cynical!