Polymarket's Free Grocery Store Is Finally Open — How It Works and What You Can Get

This month, there's been a strange trend of prediction (betting) markets opening free grocery pop-ups in New York City. First, Kalshi took over a Westside Market in the East Village for a few hours and gave away groceries to people willing to wait in line. Then, Polymarket announced it would be opening an entire grocery pop-up where customers wouldn't have to pay.

Now, the ribbon has been cut and the pop-up, appropriately dubbed The Polymarket, is open to the public. Here's how things work at the city's first free grocery store.

New York City, we’re open.

The Polymarket opens its doors at 137 7th Ave S. New York, NY 10014 — starting at 2pm today.

New York City’s first free grocery store.

Built by New Yorkers. For New Yorkers. pic.twitter.com/GXdZydFMQP

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) February 12, 2026

The Polymarket is at 137 7th Avenue S in New York's chic West Village, just a few blocks from the 1 train. It's open through Sunday, Feb. 15, with Monday, Feb. 16 serving as a food bank donation day. People showed up to the grand opening in droves, with the line wrapping all the way around the block.

So how does the free grocery store work? Is it like a scene out of a supermarket right before a blizzard, where people are trampling over each other and ransacking every last box from the shelves?

Apparently not. Each shopper is given a free blue Polymarket tote bag, and they can only take whatever they can fit into the bag, according to Fox 5 New York.

The Polymarket appears to have all the fixings you'd find in a traditional grocery store: produce, name brand dried goods like Goya beans and Jif peanut butter, as well as paper products and laundry detergent.

Despite the long line in the winter cold, shoppers seemed to enjoy the experience. "I think it's very imperative, because of the simple fact of inflation across the country," one person who braved the crowd told Fox 5 New York. "Many families are struggling to provide for their families."