Overview

The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) is not yet available in all areas and is being introduced on a limited basis in New York City (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Queens) as well as the City of Rochester in Monroe County. Approved restaurants will be added in other locations over the next few months. Please check back for updates.

The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) allows some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households the option to purchase prepared meals at participating restaurants with their SNAP benefits using their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.

This program is designed to serve SNAP recipients who may not have access to food preparation or storage resources or may be unable to prepare meals for themselves.

Households using SNAP benefits to purchase meals at participating restaurants receive a 10% discount on the cost of their meal. When purchasing prepared meals at participating restaurants, households will be responsible for covering the entire, discounted cost of their meals.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the RMP, all members of the SNAP household must be either:

• Older adults, aged 60 or older and their spouses;
• People with disabilities and their spouses; or
• People experiencing homelessness.

You cannot apply for RMP. If you meet one or more of the requirements above your SNAP case will be automatically updated as RMP eligible. Households can check their own RMP eligibility status by visiting www.ebtEDGE.com and creating or logging into their account. If the household is creating a new ebtEDGE account, they will need their EBT card number, PIN, and an email address.

Clients can also check for the eligibility message for RMP on the ebtEDGE Mobile App.

Benefits

Those eligible for RMP receive a 10% discount when using their SNAP benefits to purchase meals at participating restaurants.

Pilot Program and Roll Out

Implementation of RMP in New York State will begin with a pilot phase. The rollout of the pilot began in the city of Rochester (Monroe County), with restaurants experienced in working with government agencies and located in communities with the highest number of RMP eligible customers. After a successful launch, the RMP pilot project will expand to restaurants throughout Monroe County. Next, a pilot project has begun in New York City (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Queens), following the same process as in Monroe County. Following the completion of the pilot phase, a plan will be developed to onboard restaurants statewide.

Restaurants interested in participating in RMP must:

• Enter into an agreement with OTDA;
• Be federally authorized to accepts SNAP benefits; and
• Obtain the necessary equipment to process EBT card transactions.