Can a pizza restaurant qualify to accept EBT/CalFresh? Application requirements?

I worked for the county for years and can provide some clarity. For a pizza restaurant to accept CalFresh/EBT, you'll need to qualify under one of two programs: 1. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) - This is ONLY for establishments serving homeless, elderly (60+), or disabled SNAP recipients. Your county must participate in RMP first, and not all CA counties do. 2. Regular SNAP retailer - If your store has the grocery section you mentioned, you might qualify as a regular SNAP retailer IF you meet USDA requirements: you must sell food in each of these 4 categories: (1) meat/poultry/fish, (2) bread/cereal, (3) vegetables/fruits, and (4) dairy. AND these food items must be for home preparation/consumption. The catch: Hot prepared foods (like your hot pizzas) are NOT eligible for purchase with CalFresh benefits regardless. Customers could only use EBT for your grocery items, not hot pizzas.

u dont need 2 bother with all this paperwork trust me. my cousin tried with his sandwhich shop and gave up after 3 months. so many hoops to jump and in the end they said no bc he didnt have enuff grocery items. waste of time unless ur basically a grocery store already.

You need to apply through the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. Here's the process: 1. Apply online at the USDA FNS website https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-apply 2. Submit required documentation (business license, photo ID, etc) 3. They'll evaluate if you meet the criteria The main requirement is that you need to sell food in those 4 categories that the previous commenter mentioned. And importantly, at least 50% of your TOTAL sales need to come from selling staple foods (not prepared foods). Given that you said your grocery section is only 25% of your business, you likely won't qualify as a regular SNAP retailer. Alternatively, if your county participates in the Restaurant Meals Program, you could apply specifically to serve homeless, elderly, or disabled EBT recipients with prepared foods. But that's a whole different process and has very specific requirements.

To clarify my previous comment: The USDA has two main tests for SNAP authorization: 1. Staple Food Stock: You must stock at least 3 varieties of food items in each of the 4 staple food categories (fruits/vegetables, meat/poultry/fish, dairy, and breads/cereals), AND at least 1 of those varieties in each category must be perishable (fresh/refrigerated). 2. Business Type: At least 50% of your TOTAL gross retail sales must come from the sale of eligible staple foods. This is where most restaurants fail to qualify. So if your grocery section is only 25% of your business, you probably won't qualify unless you significantly expand that part of your operation.

I've been on CalFresh for years and just want to mention how much I'd appreciate more pizza places having grocery sections that accept EBT! It's so frustrating when I want to support local businesses but have to go to big chains because of EBT restrictions. Even if you can't get fully approved now, adding more grocery items over time could help both your business and the community. Just my two cents as someone who would definitely shop at a place like yours if I could use my benefits there.

If you're serious about this, I'd recommend calling the USDA FNS SNAP Retailer Service Center at 1-877-823-4369. They can answer specific questions about your situation before you go through the full application process. The requirements are pretty strict, and the approval process can take 45-60 days even if you do qualify. Alternatively, if you're struggling to reach someone at the USDA (which happens a lot), you might want to check out Claimyr (claimyr.com). They specialize in helping people get through to government agencies faster. They have a good video explaining their service: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. I used them when I was having trouble reaching someone about my business license and it saved me hours of waiting on hold.

One more thing to consider: if you decide to go ahead with this, I'd recommend documenting your current inventory and sales patterns before applying. When I helped a client apply, USDA actually asked for 3 months of receipts and inventory records to verify the 50% staple food requirement. They're pretty thorough in their verification process. Also, keep in mind that if you're approved, you'll need an EBT point-of-sale system. Some payment processors include this functionality in their standard systems now, but others charge extra for EBT processing capability.

just 2 add something else - if ur in a food desert area (not many grocery options nearby) u might get more consideration. my friend has a small market in south LA and they got approved faster cuz they were in an area with limited food options. might be worth mentioning if thats ur situation!!