City Taps Viral Olive Oil Brand Designers for $1M Grocery Store Contract

The design studio Gander, known for the distinctive squeeze bottle packaging of the popular olive oil brand Graza, has been awarded a contract potentially worth up to $1 million to brand Mayor Zohran Mamdani's city-owned grocery stores. The Brooklyn-based firm will lead the branding efforts for the initiative, which aims to establish a municipally-owned grocery store in each of the city's five boroughs.

Gander, which also designed the branding for Magic Spoon cereal, will collaborate with other firms on the project. Librarie will handle messaging, Noble Signs will focus on storefront design and the overall aesthetic, and Seven Roots, a worker-owned consulting firm, will advise on operations. The project will also incorporate feedback from New Yorkers through focus groups.

The contract, awarded on September 28, comes as the city is allocating $70 million for the grocery store project. Mayor Mamdani has stated that the municipal grocery stores should reflect the communities they serve. The plan calls for stores to offer a 30% discount on core goods.

So far, only two store locations have been announced: one in Hunts Point, The Bronx, scheduled to open in 2027, and another in Harlem, Manhattan, slated for a 2029 opening. Locations for the remaining three stores in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island have not yet been determined.

The initiative has faced opposition, including lawsuits from immigrant grocers who argue that the government-owned supermarkets pose a significant threat to their businesses. A recent analysis by GOP state comptroller candidate Joseph Hernandez estimated that the stores could incur budgets of up to $206 million in their initial years.