Robin “Enyh” Riley, a 42-year-old home health aide, watched as the older woman she cares for put a hamburger patty in her microwave. Riley recalls thinking it wasn’t the healthiest way to cook a meal, but then realized the woman was too frail to operate her stove. “She couldn’t take the time to stand at a stove and do a meal,” Riley says.
At moments like these, it would be a blessing for the woman to be able to have a hot meal from a restaurant, Riley says. But she can’t. Her budget for food comes from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which, since the 1970s has allowed its tens of millions of recipients to buy only cold or uncooked foods.
Riley says she understands how frustrating and limiting it is to be unable to buy a rotisserie chicken, an item from a supermarket hot bar, or a warm meal at a restaurant. After all, she’s a SNAP participant as well. Although she is able to cook at home for her four children, the working mom wishes she could sometimes take them out for a hamburger and French fries.
“All I can do is get them ice cream,” she says. “I look at myself as not being capable or being independent and not being able to provide stuff.”
One solution: Let people who receive SNAP (aka EBT, formerly food stamp) benefits to purchase warm meals from local restaurants. Such a program exists: It’s called the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), but states must opt in — and only nine have done so thus far. Pennsylvania isn’t one of them. A group of Philadelphia business owners, including the Dominican Grocers Association, recently launched a campaign called Community Tables PA to change that.
A Restaurant Meals Program for PA?
Victor Tejada, one of the leaders of the campaign and the CEO of the restaurant app software company DeliveryGuys, says allowing people to use their SNAP benefits for restaurants is about dignity. “People should be able to go out to eat with their families,” he says.“Food at restaurants is often just as healthy and about the same price as food at the supermarket.” Plus, a restaurant program would not only assist SNAP participants but also the local economy, by giving local restaurants another revenue stream.
The campaign has had some traction: State Rep. Danilo Burgos has met with the organizers and says he has been in contact with the Governor’s Office about the idea of bringing the Restaurant Meals Program to PA. The Commonwealth’s Department of Human Services (DHS) would have to request to opt in and determine the rules of the program. “It will allow them to bring a hot meal right to their home,” he says. But it would likely be restricted to make sure that “the funds are being used for what [people] need.”
“People should be able to go out to eat with their families. Food at restaurants is often just as healthy and about the same price as food at the supermarket.” — Victor Tejada, Community Tables PA
Typically, states that opt in to the Restaurant Meals Program identify and work with restaurants that want to participate. Each state in the program has to set their own guidelines and determine which restaurants qualify. The Commonwealth would also have to administer it, which would increase costs for the DHS. Currently, SNAP administration costs Pennsylvania about $408 million, with the costs split between the state and federal governments, according to the DHS. The agency has not estimated a cost to implement a Restaurant Meals Program.
Even if the Commonwealth were to opt in to the program, the federal government currently restricts RMP eligibility to SNAP participants who are elderly, disabled or experiencing homelessness. (Spouses of clients who receive SNAP also qualify.) Of the nearly 500,000 SNAP participants in Philadelphia, 121,000 are older adults (60+) and 53,000 are disabled, according to November 2024 data from the DHS. (There is no reliable data available on the number of people experiencing homelessness who are SNAP participants.)
To be eligible for SNAP benefits, a household has to be at or below income limits defined by the federal government annually. For example, one person would qualify if they made $1,255 net monthly income or 100 percent of the poverty level. The amount increases by the number of people in the household. There are also limitations on how much resources — for instance, cash — a household can have, generally up to $3,000. To retain benefits, participants also have to meet work requirements.
According to the DHS, the monthly benefit for a one-person household in PA is from $23 to $292 as of October 2024. The amount is determined by monthly income and household size. SNAP participants need to have a monthly income at or below the poverty level.
Salaam Bhatti, SNAP Director at The Food Research & Action Center, a national nonprofit that works to improve nutrition and food access, says states involved in the Restaurant Meals Program can set their own eligibility rules and have the ability to expand the number of people who could benefit from it. But the funding for any expansion would have to come out of the state’s budget.
Bhatti says there’s work being done on the federal level to remove the restrictions on hot foods entirely for SNAP participants. “There’s no science to back it. There’s no logic to restricting hot foods,” he says. Convenience stores can sell foods to heat up onsite to SNAP recipients, but can’t sell the warmed versions of the food. As communities wait for governments to catch up to the times, some organizations have created workarounds, like The Community Grocery in Point Breeze, where shoppers can use EBT cards to buy uncooked meals, then trade in their purchases for their cooked counterparts.
“There’s no science to back it. There’s no logic to restricting hot foods.” — Salaam Bhatti, The Food Research & Action Center
The restriction goes back to the 1970s, when lawmakers updated the criteria for SNAP benefits, allowing them to be purchased for important foods but not hot meals. “The rationalization I’ve seen is that hot foods are generally pricier, so these food choices are restricted to ensure SNAP participants have a nutritional diet at a low-cost,” Bhatti says, adding that it makes even less sense, given that working people often don’t have time to cook hot meals at home.
He also countered the criticism by some policymakers that people would misuse their benefits by eating at luxury restaurants. “Even if a SNAP participant was to use benefits at a fancy restaurant or have a nice meal once in their lives, why should we be a nanny state policing those who have less?” Bhatti says. “There’s bigger things at stake here than a SNAP recipient eating steak.”
Restaurants Meals Programs in other states
One state that has been praised by Bhatti and other advocates for their implementation of RMP is Massachusetts, which launched a pilot program in 2023 with 27 establishments chosen to participate based on whether they serve food deserts or communities with food access challenges. It’s also the first state to allow food trucks to operate. The eateries were also chosen based on their commitment and ties to their local neighborhoods. Notably, the restaurants reflect the diversity of the state, serving Dominican, Caribbean, Colombian, and other types of ethnic cuisines. RMP sales in Massachusetts for 2024 totaled $375,242, with a monthly average of $23,453 across approximately 22,000 transactions, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (MDAT).
One of the main goals of the program, according to the MDAT, is to improve the health of people over 60 by giving them an opportunity to find community and support through dining at public establishments.
There have been few studies of RMP over the years, with most focused on California, likely because the state has participated in it longer than others. One study found that RMP in California expands the reach of SNAP, particularly among “vulnerable low-income individuals.” “Without the program, this population that often cannot safely prepare their own food would likely go hungry and experience increased isolation,” wrote Samantha Hodges in a 2012 study.
“One of the most crucial factors in effectively addressing food insecurity is the ability to choose food that meets the dietary preferences and needs of individuals and families. The Restaurant Meals Program allows SNAP recipients to make this choice.” — Natalie Shack, Center for Hunger-Free Communities at Drexel University
Even though analyses of the California program have lauded it for expanding food options for SNAP participants, some have criticized it for a heavy reliance on fast food and chain restaurants. But as demonstrated by Massachusetts and other state programs, that is largely a policy decision surrounding eligibility. States have the power to tailor guidelines around which restaurants can participate and require healthy options on menus.
Local advocates who work to end hunger say the Restaurant Meals Program could help fight food insecurity and say limitations on food options can “take away individual autonomy and choice, which are important elements of today’s SNAP program,” said Natalie Shaak, Associate Director of Communication and Administration at the Center for Hunger-Free Communities based at Drexel University, in an email responding to a series of questions.
She adds that the Restaurant Meals Programs is hindered by eligibility requirements and benefit amounts. “To maximize the program’s impact, lawmakers should expand eligibility to all SNAP recipients and increase benefit amounts to ensure that families can fully access the program,” she says.
She also said allowing access to restaurants reduces stigmatization surrounding the use of SNAP benefits and can be critical for those who are juggling school and work with other responsibilities.
“One of the most crucial factors in effectively addressing food insecurity is the ability to choose food that meets the dietary preferences and needs of individuals and families,” she said. “The Restaurant Meals Program allows SNAP recipients to make this choice.”
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