Chopped Beef Turf War Erupts Between Bodegas and Street Carts

NEW YORK, NY — A full-blown beef — literally — has broken out across New York City as bodegas and halal street cart vendors clash over who owns the chopped beef sandwich hustle.

A chopped beef turf war just erupted between NYC bodegas and street carts.

Spatulas flying, onions rolling, and free sandwiches for cabbies caught in the crossfire.

Locals say tensions started simmering after Tony’s 24-Hour Deli on the Lower East Side began advertising its “World Famous $6 Chopped Beef Special.” Within days, rival halal carts on the same block rolled out a “Better Beef, Cheaper” deal at $5.99.

What began as price-cutting escalated into what one eyewitness called “a food fight that makes the Bagel Wars of ’09 look like kindergarten.”

“I saw a dude hurl a spatula across Delancey like it was the Olympics,” said bystander Jasmine Rivera. “Next thing you know, there’s ketchup on a taxi and onions rolling down the street.”

According to police reports, at least three cab drivers got free sandwiches during the chaos, while an NYPD officer was overheard asking, “Yo, is it chopped cheese or chopped beef? Someone explain before I file the paperwork.”

Economists have already weighed in, warning of a “sandwich inflation crisis” if the turf war spreads uptown. One Columbia professor called it “the most New York supply chain problem since pigeons unionized.”

At press time, bodegas were doubling down with loyalty cards (“Buy 10 Beef Sammies, Get 1 Loose Cigarette Free”), while cart vendors teased an upcoming “Midnight Beef Happy Hour” near Times Square.