Why bacon, egg and cheese prices have doubled and more convos in Bronx bodegas

WNYC and Gothamist conducted a community survey focused in bodegas, which are essential to many aspects of culture throughout the city.

Few places capture the essence of New York City like a bodega.

Every New Yorker has their favorite corner store, where they can grab a sandwich in a hurry, pick up a roll of toilet paper or catch up on gossip. Bodegas, alongside barbershops and laundromats, are trusted hubs where people can connect with their communities. But many of these lifelines and the communities they serve were strained by the pandemic.

So, WNYC/Gothamist set out to pilot a community survey focused on these essential businesses, starting with bodegas. Our early mission centers on learning about three topics relevant to most New Yorkers this year and how they translate into their daily lives:

1. The price of a bacon, egg and cheese
2. Crime and its influence on mental health
3. Marijuana legalization

The mission is complex and ambitious, as convenience stores are as diverse as the 700 languages spoken in the city. So, the project began by looking at neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID since the pandemic revealed how these communities are often overlooked.

The first phase settled on surveying stores in the largely Black and Latino working-class neighborhoods of the west and South Bronx through a partnership with the Bodega and Small Business Group. This initial effort is conducted in partnership with NYC-based research institute Knology and aims to run through this spring.

The project launched in late February at seven stores, and we spoke with six owners, or bodegueros, and approximately 70 customers in both English and Spanish.

Some stores have sit-down counters where customers can enjoy their coffee and sandwiches. Others have a wide selection of groceries and produce, or are primarily convenience stores.

Their responses aren’t representative or all-encompassing, but they offer a unique glimpse into the thoughts of the people who live and work in these neighborhoods.

The bacon, egg and cheese indicator

A bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is as synonymous to New York City as the Big Apple itself. But the once cheap eat, which used to cost between $1.99 and $3.50 for a roll and between $3 and $4.50 for a hero, has almost doubled in price, according to Bronx bodegueros. Now it costs between $4.50 and $6 for a roll and between $6.50 and $7.50 for a hero.

Most stores were recently able to lower their prices slightly because egg prices had started to drop after reaching extreme highs in the fall and through winter. Through the bacon, egg and cheese indicator, we’re looking at how inflation is taking a toll on consumers' pockets through big and small purchases.

But both bacon and lettuce cost more than they once did. One store owner had started charging a dollar extra for lettuce and tomatoes.

Bodegueros’ most-sold items were generally sandwiches and necessities like milk, oil, eggs and rice, although stores that had prepared food or plate lunches said those were their bestsellers.

In general, bodegueros said that they were changing prices constantly because their own costs fluctuate from day to day. One store owner said that they couldn’t increase prices on beer no matter how much their costs go up, or they will lose all their business.

In terms of specific price increases, three bodegueros mentioned milk as an item whose price had skyrocketed; while three mentioned eggs, although they all said that the price had gone back down a little bit; and two mentioned bacon.

Shoppers had a slightly different perspective, and their responses are summarized in these two tables:

How crime is “stealing time” and inspiring more gun ownership

Half of the bodegueros said crime had worsened lately, while the other half said it had stayed about the same. Several mentioned seeing a lot about crime on the news and feeling afraid, even if they had no personal experience with crime and thought their immediate neighborhood had not changed.

All six shop owners said they worry constantly about being victims of a crime. Store owners and staff had all experienced shoplifting, typically of basic items whose prices had risen dramatically, like detergent and canned goods. As one bodeguero put it, you can't put eggs down your pants. Another said that thieves are "stealing time" because of the amount of energy expended on checking security cameras and hiring employees to monitor customers.

Few shoppers said they had a direct experience with crime or calling the police for help, but most agreed that crime was growing. Some customers said their perception that crime is on the rise was mostly driven by news coverage. Most of those who called the police said the NYPD had been unhelpful in addressing the problem at hand.

Likewise, five of the six bodegueros said they had negative experiences when they called the police for help — stating that the NYPD either failed to come, took a long time to arrive, or that officers were unhelpful with resolving the situation. The lone owner with a positive experience said they had a good personal relationship with an officer who had shared their private phone number. The store’s owners said that they generally avoided engaging with people who threatened violence.

Most of the store owners said they had developed a recent interest in keeping a gun in their store. One was taking the 18-hour concealed carry class on weekends, and another was starting to look into this class. One bodeguero said they had no interest in gun ownership due to fears of shooting someone in defense. They said having a gun would create more problems than it solved.

Mostly negative views on marijuana legalization

Shoppers in the west and South Bronx expressed a wide range of opinions on marijuana legalization. Thirty-seven said they opposed legalization, while nine were in favor and 13 said they either didn't know or didn't particularly care. Four shoppers with nuanced opinions either differentiated between medical and recreational uses or favored legalization in theory but had concerns about implementation.

Reasons for opposing legalization included distaste for drugs and concerns about its effects on the brain. Critics also said they disliked the smell or effects of secondhand smoke and had concerns about growing crime.

Some in favor said they liked to smoke, while others said that legalization would benefit the city’s economy, as people would likely consume marijuana regardless of its legal status. At least one person said that legalization would make it more difficult for children to get access to laced or harmful drugs.

Most people who did not know or care said that, as nonsmokers, the issue didn't affect them.

None of the six bodegueros we spoke to were interested in getting a license to sell marijuana legally. Their reasons ranged from personal dislike to concerns about people's behavior under the influence. Given that multiple bodegueros expressed concerns about behavior under the influence, surveyors also asked about alcohol sales as all six stores sell quite a lot of wine and beer. None replied with anything specific about the relative health impacts of alcohol versus marijuana, which raises an interesting question going forward.

This project is supported by the Rita Allen Foundation.