Restaurants accepting food stamps

Okay, so I was sitting on the couch watching TV and not really paying attention... a pizza restaurant commercial was on, and on the bottom of the screen in big letters it said "We gladly accept EBT cards!"

I had to rewind the commercial because I couldn't believe it... I just didn't think that you could use food stamps for a pizza chain... :yikes:

So... do you think that fast food/delivery/take out restaurants should accept food stamps?

wow that's a little crazy. I can't believe that's allowed. Well actually I can believe it.

IMO NO they should not accept food stamps

I know!

Ian was in the kitchen when it was on, and I was like "COME HERE! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!"

In our state, EBT is to be used for COLD items NOT prepared on site.

And you can get fountain drinks, but they can't have the straw in them when you bring them to the register. And you can heat the food after you've purchased it, but not before.

not sure how foodstamps work, but it is a government program for those who need help purchasing food, correct?

I do NOT think they should take them. I mean, eating out is a privilege, not a right, imho, and you should not be using foodstamps for take out when you can get food to cook at home for much cheaper

Eating out is definitely a luxury IMO

I thought the exact same thing when I saw that commercial. Anything to boost your business, though, right?

My gut reaction is no, but at the same time, if somebody gives you $20 and says "You can spend this on food and this is all you get for a month," and you choose to go spend it on delivery pizza one day and have no money for food for the rest of the month, well... that's your choice! Stupid choice? Yup. But still, that's your choice.

In reality I know it doesn't work like that though, and people would then whine and cry about not having enough money and blah blah blah even though it's the direct result of their choices that got them in the situation.

I am surprised it counts for that thought, because I thought it only counted towards certain items. But maybe that's WIC I'm thinking of.

WIC only counts toward certain items.

Food stamps in our state can only be used for cold food, and nothing pre-prepared from the deli (so no sushi or potato salad either).

Oddly enough you can buy a Papa Murphy's pizza here, but that's because it's uncooked. So it's looked at as buying a frozen pizza from the store. Still odd though, I guess their uncooked pizzas are about the same price as a frozen Freschetta or Red Baron.

I agree with Beanie. You make stupid choices, you deal with the consequences.

If you're smart though, you can make a couple of pizzas last for at least a week.

Absolutely NOT.

Eating out is a luxury....not a necessity.

I love how my tax dollars are going to making sure people can enjoy the luxuries that my family has to forgo......all so those people can get such benefits.

I'm tired of all this crap and the cell phone crap and everything else.

I'm to the point that there needs to be a 2-yr maximum to welfare benefits. Tough luck.

I totally agree!

I'd like to see people on food stamps eating like we do. Dried beans and rice, fresh fruits and veggies, with sparing doses of meat. It costs surprisingly little.

I don't think so.
Normally I would say.. whatever. waste your money on pizza, get fat and then starve for the rest of the month

but then I remember that families with kids have foodstamps. Pizza/restaurant food is YUMMY no doubt but its not healthy for kids.. and childhood obesity is way too high as it is.

also, eating out is a LUXURY. I think people hard financially should be learning about saving and how to save and BUILDING GOOD FINANCIAL HABITS so they can get OFF welfare. Eating out everynight is NOT a good habit.

I agree with Beanie.

Other - I think they should take foodstamps and then drag the people into the back room and pummel them briskly for stealing their food from tax payers. Then redistribute the food stamps to the ones who paid for them.

Honestly? My immediate reaction is "of course not".

But here, it costs less a lot of the time to eat out. Not at a nice restaurant, but buying a pizza, which will last one person close to a week, is a hell of a lot less expensive than going to the store and buying the food needed to make sandwiches every night or to make a homemade pizza. You can get a full (albeit unhealthy) meal at mcdonalds for less money than to prepare a similar meal at home.

Plus, a lot of people who get food stamps are probably unable to prepare their own food due to disability, mental illness, or because they don't have housing or a kitchen or any means of storing or preparing food. Plenty of people rent a bedroom, and there is a communal bathroom on the floor (in lower income housing), and no kitchen. They may not be able to afford a microwave or mini refrigerator.

Very true. My happy meals cost $2.79. When I pack my lunch from home, I almost always spend at least $5-6.

I still think food stamps, should be exactly that "stamps" that will buy you a gallon of milk with a "milk stamp", a pound of meat with a "meat stamp", etc. Nothing too fancy and crazy, of course, but something that will give you healthy basic food.

There is a chocolate store in town here, they ONLY sell expensive chocolates, like 3 bucks a piece. They have a big sign in the window "now accept EBT cards". I almost choked on my chewing gum.