How Does A Soup Kitchen Work For Hungry People – The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assists low-income families and individuals with groceries, food and drink items. SNAP benefits are delivered to recipients through an EBT card. A lot of people are curious to know whether these cards can be used at fast-food restaurants or not.
The Restaurants Meal Program is a federal government initiative designed in many states as part of the SNAP program. The program assists low-income families and individuals to pay for a hot prepared meal with the help of their debit card. A lot of companies and states have participated in the restaurant meals program. This guide will throw light on restaurants from fast food chains and pizza places near you that accept EBT payment from customers.
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Eligibility Requirements for Restaurant Free Meal Program
You should clearly understand that the restaurant meal program is not for everyone. There are some groups of people that can qualify for this restaurant meal program. We will be discussing the group of people that can easily qualify for this particular program.
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Disabled People
Disability can be defined as physical incapacity, mental illness or development issues. Disabled people can surely apply for the restaurant meal program and will be able to purchase food using their EBT card.
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Senior People
As we already know that the senior people have low income or no income, therefore without money it is quite difficult to survive. There are a lot of senior people over the age of 60 who are unable to purchase food. If you are above 60 years old, you can surely get assistance from the restaurant meal program. You need to use your EBT cards from the designated restaurant to purchase food.
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Homeless
The homeless people are one of the less fortunate people in the world. They also suffer from hunger as they are unable to purchase food. Therefore the homeless people are also given high priority and they are eligible for the restaurant meal program. They can use EBT cards to purchase the food from a designated restaurant
Can You Use An EBT Card At Restaurants?
The SNAP program is designed by the federal government for purchasing cold foods and groceries that individuals can prepare at home and this leaves disabled individuals or senior citizens who are unable to cook for themselves with limited options.
This is the reason why the Restaurant Meals Program, a state-run federal program, was designed to assist homeless individuals, senior citizens and disabled SNAP recipients to buy food at SNAP authorized restaurants with the help of their EBT cards.
You can use your debit card at fast food restaurants if:
- You qualify for the Restaurant Meals Program
- You live in a state where the Restaurant Meals Program is running
- You visit a restaurant that participates in the Restaurant Meals Program.
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What Can You Purchase With An EBT Card?
Food stamps or SNAP programs can be used for purchasing cold foods that you can buy at your home such as the following
- Fresh, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables
- Red meat like ribs, steak and ground beef
- Cooking oils such as vegetable and olive oil
- Poultry products like eggs and chickens
- Breads and cereals such as rice, bagels, pasta, tortillas, rye bread, pita bread.
- For products like sausages, chops, tenderloin and bacon
- Seafoods like fish, selfish, shrimp and lobsters
- Desserts like cookies from ice cream or brownies
- Other snack items like candy, cold sandwiches, snack crackers, chips
- Non-alcoholic beverages like soft drinks and energy drinks.
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What Can’t You Purchase With Your SNAP Benefits or EBT Card?
SNAP recipients cannot use their debit card to purchase any item as per their wish. Following is the list of items that you cannot buy with the help of your EBT card.
- Vitamins, supplements and medicines
- Beer, secrets, wine, liquor or tobacco
- Live animals
- Non-food items like paper products, cleaning supplies, pet foods, cosmetics and hygiene items
- Foods that are hot when sold.
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How To Find Fast Food Restaurants That Participate In RMP?
A lot of states in America are participating in Restaurant Meal Programs such as Arizona, California, Rhode Island, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Maryland and Hawaii. There are a variety of fast food restaurants that are accepting debit as a payment method from customers.
In other words, you can buy hot foods with your food stamp if you’re living in any one of these three states. Let’s take a look at the following restaurants or food places that are accepting debit.
Restaurants that accept ebt cards Arizona
One of the states that have implemented the RMP program is Arizona and a lot of restaurants and fast food centers throughout the state are taking EBT as a means of payment from customers. SNAP recipients can use their food stamp benefits to get things like fried chicken, pizza, burgers and tacos as well.
Here is the list of fast food restaurants that are accepting debit in Arizona.
- Burger King
- Burger Shoppe
- Angie’s Lobster
- Blue Seas Express
- 47 Ave Food Store Inc.
- Chix N Mex
- Churchs Chicken 955
- Captain Tony’s Pizza
- Carl’s Jr
- Classic Cooking Academy
- Chavelas Water and Ice Cream Eatery
- Domino’s Pizza
- Dorsey B’s Fish and Fixins
- Dairy Queen
- Diamond Creek Restaurant
- Eat Fresh Mexican Food
- El Pollo Loco
- Eegee’s
- Figami Asian Fresh
- Firehouse Subs
- Fat Sub
- Harris & Smith Coffee Company
- Hungry Howie’s
- Helpings Cafe and Market
- Jimmy and Joe’s Pizzeria
- Jack in the Box
- KFC
- Krispy Krunchy Chicken
- Latino Restaurant
- Lenny’s Burger
- Love Hawaiian BBQ
- La Perla Sports Cantina
- McDonald’s
- Maskadores Taco Shop
- NK Gyros
- Perfetto
- Rally’s Hamburgers
- Rags Real Chicken and Waffles
- Senor Sushi
- Smoke Dem Bones BBQ
- Subway
- Speedy Street Tacos
- Sylvia’s La Canasta
- Sylvia’s Off The Grill
- Sue Soul Food Heaven
- Taco Bell
- Tasty Box
- T and Y Hawaiian BBQ
- Uncle Sam’s
Restaurants that accept ebt cards California
The state of California has an extensive Restaurant Meal program enabling SNAP recipients to use the CalFresh benefit to buy hot prepared milk from restaurants that are participating in the program in a few counties. Following is the list of fast food places that are accepting EBT in California through RMP.
In California, more than 200 restaurants accept EBT, these are:
- A&T Burgers
- Alma’s Cookies & Company Restaurant
- Angelo’s Burger
- Ameci Pizza Kitchen
- Arnold’s Burgers
- Art’s Famous Chili Dog
- Arby’s
- Arnold’s Burgers
- Bayou Grille
- B&R’s Old Fashion Burger
- Baby Brother Pizza
- BBQ King
- Big Al’s Pizza
- BBQ Express
- Bonnie B’s Smokin BBQ
- Boy’s Hamburgers
- Bobo’s Hamburger
- Broadway Food Corner
- Bravo Burger
- Burger King
- Brother’s BBQ
- California Steak & Fries
- Campus Kitchen
- Cafe Creole
- California Cheeseburgers
- Captain Tony’s Pizza and Pasta
- Carl’s Jr
- Ceiba Restaurant
- Casa Sanchez
- Carnitas Michoacán
- Chavez Polo & Burger
- China Beauty Food Express
- Chabelitas Restaurant
- Chinese Express
- Church’s Chicken
- Chinatown Express
- Cliff’s Texas Style Burritos
- Corner Kafe
- Classic Burger
- Covina Burgers
- Curry Time
- Cypress Best Burgers
- Crazy Falafel
- D’s Original Take Out Grill
- Del Taco
- Daily Donuts House
- Dinna’s Mexican Food Restaurant
- Dickey’s BBQ Pit
- Dino’s Burgers
- Denny’s
- Dominguez Pizza
- Downtown Catch 21
- Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen
- Doublz
- Domino’s Pizza
- Dono’s Fish & Chicken
- El Arka Bakery & Restaurant
- El Huero
- El Pollo Loco
- El Merendero
- Jack in the Box
- Le Pardis Bakery and Cafe
- NYC Deli & Grill
- Nikko’s Family Restaurant
- New York Pizza
- Primo Burgers
- Taqueria El Torero and many others.
Restaurants that accept ebt cards Hawaii
If you are having problems buying foods in Hawaii, then do worry as the Restaurant Meal Program is currently running in this state. There are some popular restaurants in Hawaii that you can surely try. There are the listed restaurants in Hawaii that accepts EBT cards-
- Waba Grill
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- Taco Bell
Restaurants that accept ebt cards Maryland
In 2020, Maryland’s Restaurant Meals Program was launched. This program is still in the pilot stage, and that means it is being tested in a small area to see if it is suitable for the state.
The program ought to eventually be expanded throughout the state or other areas if everything goes according to plan. There is only one restaurant that accepts EBT- 2 Soul Sisters Restaurant.
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Restaurants that accept ebt cards Michigan
The Restaurant Meal Program in Michigan allows recipients of the food assistance program to use their Michigan Bridge Card to buy prepared food from participating restaurants.
The recipients of the food assistance program use their EBT benefit card to buy fatty food in a few authorized restaurants. The benefits are used by disabled individuals who are homeless and elderly people including spouses of SNAP recipients are eligible for the program.
There are currently 14 restaurants in Michigan that accept EBT
- Just Munchies
- Wing Heaven Sports Haven
- Dee’s Pizza Pad
- Siraj Cuisine
- Sally’s Whatta Pizza
- Holy Cow! Creamery
- McDonald’s (4 locations)
- Ray’s Pizza and Chicken
- Sheeba Express
- Emma’s Coffee House
- Breadless
- Burton Village BBQ Company
- Foundry Bakehouse and Deli
Restaurants that accept ebt cards Illinois
Illinois has been participating in the Restaurant Meals program since late summer of 2021 and is enabling SNAP-eligible households to use the EBT card to buy hot meals at participating restaurants. At the moment, it only works in certain Chicago zip codes. In Illinois, there are certain restaurants that accept EBT, these are:
- JJ Fish and Chicken
- S2 Express Grill
- Ocean Wave Soul & Seafood
- Doughboy’s Chicago
- BJ’s Market and Bakery
- Firehouse Bakery and Grill
Restaurants that accept ebt cards Rhode Island
You can surely find the RMP program in Rhode Island. This program is also known as SNAP restaurant that mainly helps you to eat better. But remember that this program only consists of participants that are disabled people, senior people and the homeless. You can also try visiting the EatBetterToday website where you can get all the information related to the program.
You can simply visit the SNAP website to get information about the restaurant’s meal program. All you have to do is conduct a little bit of research or search for restaurants near you that accept EBT cards. You will surely get a handful of results about the restaurants and you can easily order your food.
Restaurants that accept ebt cards Florida
You can also find restaurant meals programs in Florida. In Florida you can find some popular restaurants that include KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. But these meal programs are only for the homeless people and thus other common people cannot avail the benefits from this meal program.
We have mentioned some listed restaurants in Florida that accept EBT cards, but remember to check these restaurants on the web before visiting.
- Popeye’s
- Quiznos
- Great Steaks
- Waba Grill
- Uncle Sam’s
- Tasty Box
- Taco Bell
- Subway
- 24th st Pizza & Gyros
- Blimpie
- Burger Shoppe
- CiCi’s Pizza
- Dairy Queen
- Denny’s
- Dominos Pizza
- Eagles
- El Pollo Loco
- Fat Sub
- Firestone Subs
- Golden Corral
- Harris and Smith Coffee Company
- Helpings Café and Market
- Jack in the Box
- Jimmy and Joe’s Pizzeria
- KFC
- MoonLight Family Restaurant
- Papa John’s Pizza
- Papa Murphy’s
- Rally’s Hamburgers
- Smoke Dem Bones BBQ
- Speedy Street Tacos Corp
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List of Top Restaurants That Are Accepting EBT Cards
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McDonald’s
No other fast food restaurant is as popular as McDonald’s which was established in 1955. EBT cards are accepted by McDonald’s in states like Arizona, California and Michigan.
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Burger King
The second largest hamburger chain in America after McDonald is Burger King that has 18700+ locations in different countries. Burger King accepts EBT cards from customers in Arizona and California.
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Carl’s Jr.
The fast food restaurant Carl’s Jr. has 1000+ locations throughout the United States of America and has been serving customers since 1941. Apart from the United States of America, that restaurant has operated in 28 different countries. The restaurant accepts EBT cards in California and Arizona.
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Domino’s
Domino’s, a popular fast food restaurant has more than 14400 locations in 85 different countries including the United States of America. Domino’s accepts debit cards in Arizona and California.
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KFC
KFC is a popular fast-food restaurant that accepts EBT cards for purchasing meals in states that are participating in the federal Restaurant Meals Program.
If you belong to Arizona, California, Illinois, Michigan Maryland, Virginia and Rhode Island then you can use your debit card to purchase meals at this fast food restaurant. It is important to remember that the restaurant serves in particular cities or counties only.
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Subway
Subway is popular for its food and long sandwiches and has operations in more than 100 countries. There are 37,000 restaurants in different countries worldwide and this fast food chain accepts EBT cards in different states of America such as California and Rhode Island.
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Taco Bell
Taco Bell was born in 1962 and was available in only 19 states. The restaurant is popular for its quasi-Mexican cuisine and has more than 7000 locations in America. There are selective locations in Arizona and California that accept EBT cards as a means of payment from customers.
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Little Caesars
Little Caesars was founded by a couple who spent their life savings into opening a pizza store in Garden City Michigan and later the business expanded to more than 4000 locations in America. There are a few locations where this restaurant is accepting EBT cards in San Diego California.
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Popeye’s
Started 50 years ago in the state of Louisiana Popeye’s spread its location throughout the world. The restaurant is accepting debit cards from customers in Arizona and California. The chain also accepts debit cards in selective counties in Michigan and Virginia.
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Wendy’s
There are 6500 Wendy’s restaurants across the globe and is a popular fast food chain today. The restaurant is accepting EBT cards but only a handful of locations in California
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EL Pollo Loco
EL Pollo Loco was opened in 1980 and acquired by Denny’s Inc. in 1983. The restaurant has 500 locations in the United States of America and a few locations of this restaurant accept debit cards from customers in California and Arizona.
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How To Use EBT Cards At Restaurants In States That Do Not Have An RMP?
It has been mentioned above that the SNAP benefits are designed for assisting households to purchase grocery items and food that can be prepared at home so the card cannot be used to purchase hot prepared meals at restaurants.
However, it is interesting to note that two fast-food restaurants are accepting debit cards from customers statewide.
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Starbucks
The fast food restaurant Starbucks does not accept EBT cards at any of the company-owned stores however it accepts EBT at some of the licensed stores that are located in retail stores and grocery stores.
Fortunately, there are approximately 6300 licensed stores in Starbucks operating in the United States of America so you have plenty of places to use your food stamp benefits to get a hot meal prepared.
You can be eligible to use the food stamp benefits when you visit a Starbucks inside places like Target, Fred Meyer, and Safeway grocery chains that are accepting food stamps. You just need to make sure you avoid buying food that is hot at the point of sale.
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Papa Murphy’s
Papa Murphy’s is another fast food restaurant that accepts debit cards even if you are residing in a state that is not participating in RMP.
Independently owned franchises of the company are set up to accept SNAP benefit or debit cards as a form of payment if customers are buying food in-store and the EBT card cannot be used for online purchases.
As customers can take Papa Murphy’s Pizza home to bake a pizza at their home the food they get from the restaurant is considered SNAP-eligible.
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Conclusion
SNAP recipients who want to use their debit card at a fast food restaurant near them must either live in a state that has participated in a Restaurant Meal Program and qualify for it or can reach out to a local Papa Murphy or Starbucks. Thankfully a lot of states are rolling in the RMP so it is hopeful that more fast food restaurants will accept EBT cards from people and SNAP recipients can access hot foods as well in addition to cold food, drink items and groceries. The Restaurant Meal Program is available to SNAP households who are homeless elderly and disabled so you need to meet the eligibility criteria to qualify.
Learn more about Free Clothing for low income family Programs at the Get Government Grants’ section today. Our resources will help you to find the right type of support based on your needs and requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I eligible for the restaurant meal program?
The homeless, elderly over 60 and disabled people are given high preference for the restaurant’s meal program. You can also contact the local department of human service office to get additional information on the eligibility requirements.
What is meant by the SNAP Restaurant Meal Program?
The government of the United States of America initiated the SNAP restaurant meals program for the homeless, seniors and disabled. The SNAP programs offer prepared meals that can be purchased using the EBT cards. But remember to purchase food from participating restaurants or you might end up paying them in cash or other payment methods.
How can I Qualify for an EBT Card?
Everyone cannot qualify for the EBT card as it is only given to specific people who have urgent requirements. It is important to meet the primary eligibility criteria to qualify for an EBT card. One of the main criteria that is looked upon is the income level of the application. If you are disabled, senior or homeless you can surely get EBT cards as they are given the highest priority.
What do I do when my EBT benefit is not enough to purchase a meal?
It is a difficult question that most people ask. When your SNAP benefit balance is running low, you might be charged over. In such critical times you should communicate with the cashier or manager of the restaurant so that you can make a combined payment using your EBT cash benefit and SNAP EBT benefit. However, it is highly recommended to check your balance before purchasing food from the listed participating restaurants.