The SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) gives elderly adults, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness the ability to buy prepared meals at authorized restaurants using their EBT card. It has been part of the federal food assistance system since 1977, filling a gap that standard SNAP benefits cannot address. But the program is now under pressure. The sweeping SNAP cuts enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025 did not eliminate the RMP directly, yet they created conditions that could gradually hollow it out, through reduced enrollment among those who need it most, and new financial burdens that may push states to drop optional programs like this one.
If you want to check whether you or someone you care for qualifies for SNAP or other food assistance, use our free benefits screener to see your options.
What Is the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program?
The Restaurant Meals Program is an optional add-on that states can choose to operate under SNAP. It authorizes certain SNAP recipients to use their EBT card at participating restaurants to buy hot, prepared meals, something standard SNAP benefits do not allow. Regular SNAP benefits can only be spent on unprepared grocery items for home preparation. The RMP exists for people who do not have access to a kitchen, cannot safely cook due to age or disability, or lack stable housing with food storage.
Participating restaurants cannot charge sales tax or gratuities on meals purchased through the program. Your receipt must show the meal price and your remaining EBT balance.
The program was created in recognition that food security is not just about having ingredients. For a 72-year-old with severe arthritis, or a person sleeping in a shelter, raw groceries may be useless without a place to prepare them.
Who Qualifies for the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program?
Eligibility is narrower than for standard SNAP. You must already receive SNAP benefits and live in a state that operates an RMP. Beyond that, every member of your household must meet at least one of the following criteria:
| Qualifying Category | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Elderly | Age 60 or older |
| Disabled | Receives disability payments, blindness benefits, or disability retirement from a government agency for a permanent condition |
| Homeless | Lacks a fixed, regular nighttime residence, including people in shelters, halfway houses, transitional housing, motels, cars, or parks |
| Spouse | Married to someone in one of the above categories |
The household-level rule matters. If one person in your household does not meet any of the above criteria, the entire household is ineligible. A 63-year-old grandmother living with an able-bodied adult child who also receives SNAP would not qualify, because not all members of the household meet the criteria.
Your EBT card should be automatically coded by your state to work at RMP restaurants if you qualify. There is no separate application for the program itself.
Which States Have the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program in 2025?
As of 2025, nine states operate an active Restaurant Meals Program under SNAP:
| State | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Arizona | Statewide |
| California | Statewide |
| Illinois | Cook County and Franklin County only |
| Maryland | Statewide |
| Massachusetts | Statewide |
| Michigan | Statewide |
| New York | Available through state social services agencies |
| Rhode Island | Statewide |
| Virginia | Statewide |
Oregon has been developing a pilot program. The remaining 41 states and the District of Columbia do not offer RMP at all.
The program is most widely available in California and Arizona, where large restaurant networks participate. In states like Illinois, the program is limited to specific counties. If you do not live in a participating state, you cannot use SNAP benefits at restaurants regardless of your age, disability status, or housing situation.
How to Use Your EBT Card at a Participating Restaurant
Using the RMP at a restaurant follows a simple process once you have confirmed eligibility:
- Verify your state participates. Check your state's human services or SNAP website. If you are unsure, call your local SNAP office or the USDA Food and Nutrition Service at 1-877-823-4369.
- Find a participating restaurant. Most state RMP websites have a restaurant locator or list. Look for window or register signage that says something like "Participating Restaurant: SNAP Restaurant Meals Program."
- Order your meal. No restrictions on menu items beyond the restaurant's normal offerings.
- Pay with your EBT card. The cashier will run your card through an authorized point-of-sale terminal. Enter your PIN. The meal cost comes out of your SNAP balance.
- Keep your receipt. It must show the meal price and your remaining SNAP balance. No tax or tip can be added to the transaction.
If your card is declined at a restaurant that should accept it, contact your local SNAP office. Your account may not be coded correctly for RMP access.
Common Restaurant Chains That Participate
Specific restaurants vary by state and location. Chains that have participated in RMP programs in eligible states include:
- Burger King
- Subway
- Taco Bell
- Wendy's
- KFC
- Domino's
- Pizza Hut
- Jack in the Box (in California and Arizona)
Participation is not universal even within chains. A Subway in Phoenix may accept EBT while one in Chicago does not, depending on whether that specific location is authorized. Always verify before ordering.
How Federal Cuts in 2025 Threaten the Program
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025, imposed the largest cuts to SNAP in the program's history. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the law cuts approximately $187 billion in federal SNAP spending over the ten years from 2025 through 2034. The RMP was not eliminated outright, but the cuts create three distinct threats to its survival and reach.
Threat 1: Expanded Work Requirements Remove Eligible Participants
Before the 2025 law, most elderly adults and many homeless individuals were exempt from SNAP work requirements. The new law changed that. Adults up to age 65 who cannot document 20 hours of paid work per week now face time limits on their SNAP benefits.
Groups now subject to work requirements for the first time include:
- Adults ages 55 to 64 (previously exempt)
- Homeless individuals, including families with children age 14 or older
- Veterans without stable employment
- Former foster youth
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates more than one million adults ages 55 to 64 will lose SNAP benefits under these requirements. Feeding America projects the law removes nearly 6 billion meals from SNAP participants annually.
The direct effect on the RMP is straightforward. If a homeless 58-year-old loses SNAP benefits because they cannot document work hours, they also lose access to the Restaurant Meals Program. The program cannot help people who no longer receive SNAP.
Threat 2: State Cost-Sharing Starting in 2028 Pressures Optional Programs
Starting in federal fiscal year 2028 (October 1, 2027), states will for the first time be required to contribute to the cost of SNAP food benefits. The amount each state owes depends on its payment error rate:
| State Error Rate | State Contribution to Benefit Costs |
|---|---|
| Under 6% | No additional contribution required |
| 6% to 8% | 5% of SNAP benefit costs |
| 8% to 10% | 10% of SNAP benefit costs |
| Above 10% | 15% of SNAP benefit costs |
The Food Research and Action Center projects that 43 states will owe a portion of benefit costs once this takes effect, using fiscal year 2024 error rate data. States facing new mandatory SNAP spending may look to cut administrative costs elsewhere, and the RMP, as an optional, state-administered add-on, is a candidate for elimination or reduction.
No states had formally announced plans to drop the RMP as of early 2026, but budget pressures are real. States with thin margins on their SNAP budgets may find the RMP difficult to sustain.
Threat 3: Benefit Reductions Shrink What Participants Can Spend
The 2025 law also changed how utility costs factor into SNAP benefit calculations. An estimated 600,000 low-income households may see their monthly SNAP benefit reduced as a result of changes to the Standard Utility Allowance. For someone relying on the RMP for daily meals, a smaller monthly benefit means fewer meals. Even if the program survives structurally, reduced benefits shrink its practical value.
Who Is Most at Risk
The populations the RMP was designed to serve are now facing the sharpest cuts. Homeless adults between 55 and 64, who previously had SNAP without a work requirement, are losing eligibility in large numbers. Disabled adults who relied on stable SNAP access now face uncertainty. Elderly adults in states that may respond to cost-sharing pressure by cutting optional programs have no fallback if the RMP disappears in their state.
These populations share a common characteristic: they cannot easily absorb the loss of a food source. A person without housing cannot pivot to home cooking. An elderly adult with severe mobility limitations cannot easily substitute congregate meal programs that require transportation. The RMP was not a luxury for these groups. For many, it was the only practical way to eat.
Alternatives If You Are Not in an RMP State or Lose Access
If the RMP is not available in your state, or if you lose SNAP eligibility, several alternatives may help:
Meals on Wheels. Provides home-delivered meals for homebound older adults. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging to find the nearest program. Many Area Agencies can be found through the Eldercare Locator at eldercare.acl.gov or 1-800-677-1116.
Congregate meal programs. Senior centers and community organizations funded through the Older Americans Act often serve free or low-cost hot meals on-site. These require transportation but do not require any eligibility verification.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). Serves adults age 60 and older with monthly food packages. Not available in every state but widely distributed through local food banks.
Food banks and pantries. Feeding America's network of food banks and community pantries offers supplemental food. Many pantries now offer senior-specific boxes or home delivery options.
SNAP online purchasing. If you have stable housing with delivery access, many major grocery retailers accept SNAP EBT for online orders with delivery or pickup. This is not a restaurant option but can reduce the need to physically shop in stores.
Our free benefits screener checks eligibility across SNAP, Medicaid, LIHEAP, WIC, SSI, and more. It covers all 50 states and takes a few minutes to complete.
What Would an Actual Elimination Look Like?
Formal elimination of the RMP would require either a change to federal law or a decision by individual states to discontinue their programs. At the federal level, Congress would need to repeal the statutory provision authorizing state RMP programs. That has not been proposed.
At the state level, any of the nine participating states could choose to discontinue their program. States can exit the RMP without federal approval. They would notify FNS, deauthorize participating restaurants, and stop allowing EBT transactions at those locations. Affected recipients would receive notice and their EBT cards would revert to standard SNAP restrictions.
Advocacy organizations including Feeding America, the National Council on Aging, and the Food Research and Action Center have been monitoring state responses to the 2025 federal cuts. The practical concern is not a single formal elimination but a gradual erosion, fewer states maintaining the program, smaller restaurant networks, and reduced participation as eligible populations lose SNAP access entirely.
How to Advocate for the Program
If you believe the RMP should be maintained or expanded in your state, several actions can help:
- Contact your state legislators and urge them to protect funding for the RMP in state budget discussions.
- Connect with local advocacy organizations like food banks, homeless service providers, and senior advocacy groups, many of which are already engaged on SNAP budget issues.
- Share your personal story with elected officials or local media. Policy discussions about cuts to food programs often move when lawmakers hear from specific constituents.
- Contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and ask them to support legislation that would delay or reverse the state cost-sharing requirement set to begin in 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program?
The SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) is an optional state program that allows certain SNAP recipients to use their EBT card to buy prepared meals at authorized restaurants. It is designed for people who cannot prepare food at home, primarily elderly adults age 60 and older, people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness.
Is the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program being eliminated?
The 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act did not directly eliminate the RMP. However, the law made major cuts to SNAP that reduce the number of people eligible for the program and may push some states to discontinue optional programs like the RMP due to new state cost-sharing requirements starting in 2028.
Which states have the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program?
As of 2025, nine states participate: Arizona, California, Illinois (limited counties), Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Oregon is developing a pilot. All other states do not offer the program.
Who qualifies for the Restaurant Meals Program?
You must already receive SNAP and live in a participating state. Every person in your SNAP household must be age 60 or older, have a qualifying disability with government benefits, or be homeless. If any household member does not meet these criteria, the household does not qualify.
Does the Restaurant Meals Program give extra benefits?
No. The RMP lets you spend your existing SNAP balance at restaurants instead of only at grocery stores. Your monthly benefit amount does not change. Restaurant meals typically cost more than groceries, so using the RMP frequently may cause your benefits to run out faster.
Can someone experiencing homelessness use SNAP at a restaurant?
Yes, if they live in one of the nine participating states and their SNAP household consists only of qualifying members. Homeless individuals without stable housing are one of the core groups the RMP was designed to serve. The concern is that expanded work requirements under the 2025 law may cause many homeless adults to lose SNAP eligibility entirely.
What happens if my state drops the Restaurant Meals Program?
Your EBT card would revert to standard SNAP rules, meaning you could no longer use it at restaurants. You would need to rely on alternatives like food banks, Meals on Wheels, congregate meal programs, or SNAP-authorized grocery stores. Your benefit amount would not change.
How do I find participating restaurants in my area?
Check your state's SNAP or human services website for a restaurant locator or list. You can also call your local SNAP office or the USDA Food and Nutrition Service at 1-877-823-4369. Most participating restaurants display window or register signage indicating they accept EBT through the RMP.
What is the income limit to qualify for SNAP in 2026?
For the 48 contiguous states and DC, the gross monthly income limit for SNAP is 130% of the federal poverty level. For a single-person household, that is approximately $1,696 per month. For a household of two, approximately $2,292 per month. Elderly and disabled households only need to meet the net income limit of 100% FPL. Use our free screener to check your specific eligibility.
