Long Island families keeping a close eye on food prices may find a new deal worth the trip into the city next week.
Polymarket, a New York City-based prediction market platform, says it is launching what it calls the city’s first fully free grocery store — a short-term pop-up where shoppers can walk out with food at no charge.
The temporary store is set to open at noon on February 12 and operate for five days, through February 15, according to a report in Business Insider. While the exact Manhattan location has not yet been revealed, the company says construction on the pop-up space began last month.
Polymarket promoted the event on social media as a “real, physical investment in our community,” adding that the store will be stocked and open to all New Yorkers, with no purchase necessary. That includes anyone willing to travel in from Nassau or Suffolk counties.
The company also announced a $1 million donation to Food Bank for New York City, one of the region’s largest hunger-relief organizations. That funding supports food programs that often reach Long Island residents through partner pantries and regional collaborations, a growing concern as grocery costs remain high across the Island.
Details about how the free store will operate remain limited. Polymarket has not yet said whether there will be a limit on how much each shopper can take, or if there will be ID checks or time slots. Those rules will matter for Long Islanders considering whether it’s worth a trip from places like Hempstead, Huntington, or Patchogue.
The mystery around the store’s exact location and participation rules has fueled speculation online, especially after a similar promotion drew large crowds earlier this week.
The Polymarket effort comes on the heels of a headline-grabbing giveaway by another prediction market platform, Kalshi. On Tuesday, Kalshi covered the cost of groceries — up to $50 per shopper — at Westside Market in Manhattan’s East Village. That three-hour event, which some Long Islanders who commute into the city took advantage of, quickly went viral and appeared to double as a marketing push for the firm.
Polymarket’s free-store campaign, promoted with the edgy tagline “F it. Free groceries for everyone,” is being widely viewed as a competitive response within the prediction market industry. Both companies allow users to bet on outcomes of real-world events, and both appear to be using high-profile free food giveaways to attract attention in New York.
New York City Councilmember Zohran Mamdani, who has advocated for city-owned, low-cost grocery stores, weighed in on social media after Polymarket announced the project. Mamdani campaigned on expanding access to affordable food — an issue that mirrors concerns in Long Island communities where residents in parts of central and eastern Suffolk face limited supermarket options.
Polymarket publicly replied to Mamdani’s post, saying they would “love to have you join us” and noting that they had already tried to connect with him. Whether city officials will appear at the opening or push for similar initiatives in areas outside Manhattan remains to be seen.
For Long Island residents who already travel into Manhattan for work, school, or medical appointments, the timing could make it easier to check out the pop-up. The noon opening time, and its weekday run, may line up with lunch breaks or evening commutes from Penn Station or Grand Central, both a short train ride from Nassau and Suffolk via the Long Island Rail Road.
While this promotion will not solve food insecurity on Long Island, it underscores the growing role that private companies and tech platforms are playing in food assistance — sometimes with splashy, short-term events rather than long-term solutions. Local food pantries in Nassau and Suffolk continue to report higher demand, especially around the holidays and the start of the year, when household budgets are tight.
As more details are released — including the store’s address and any limits on free items — Long Islanders interested in making the trip should plan ahead, expect crowds, and be prepared for lines similar to those seen at recent high-profile giveaways in the city.
Information for this story was based on Polymarket’s social media posts, statements from New York City officials, and prior coverage by FOX 5 NY and Business Insider.