William Lipovsky
Except for take-and-bake pizzas to cook at home, you can only use EBT at pizza places if you live in a state that has a Restaurant Meals Program (RMP).
RMPs provide additional food assistance to qualifying Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.[1]
Pizza places that participate in RMPs at select locations include Domino’s, Hungry Howie’s, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut.
We detail all of your options (and more about how the RMP works) below.
About the Restaurant Meals Program
The Restaurant Meals Program allows select recipients of SNAP benefits to purchase hot foods, which usually aren’t eligible for EBT, from restaurants.
Only a few states participate in the Restaurant Meals Program:[1]
- Arizona
- California
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
In these states, SNAP recipients who are older than 60, disabled, or homeless and their spouses qualify for the RMP.[1]
The program is designed to assist those who are unable to cook at home or have difficulty doing so.[1]
Note that if you qualify for the Restaurant Meals Program, you can’t use your EBT card at out-of-state restaurants (as previously reported).
EBT Restaurant Threshold
If you don’t qualify for the RMP, you can only use your EBT card to purchase uncooked food from retailers that fall under the “restaurant threshold.”
The USDA defines “restaurant” as any place that receives more than 50% of its total sales from food that it cooks or heats on-site, whether customers eat there or take the food as carryout.[2]
If the majority of a retailer’s sales come from food that the customer must take home and cook themselves, it falls under the “restaurant threshold” and might qualify as a SNAP-approved retailer.[2]
As it relates to pizza places, take-and-bake pizza shops may accept EBT cards if they submit sales documentation to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to show that they don’t exceed the restaurant threshold.[2]
The List
The following pizza places accept EBT either by falling below the restaurant threshold or participating in the Restaurant Meals Program.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
We confirmed this information with customer service representatives and each state’s roster of participating RMP restaurants.
Our list is in order from the most to the fewest EBT-approved locations.
Note that RMP-approved restaurants change regularly and may include additional local pizza places. My list focuses on chain restaurants.
Papa Murphy’s
- EBT acceptance policy: Papa Murphy’s falls under the restaurant threshold[11] and accepts EBT in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.[12]
- Find a restaurant
Pizza Hut
- EBT acceptance policy: Participates in the RMP in Arizona and California (as previously reported)
- Find a restaurant (AZ)
- Find a restaurant (CA)
Domino’s
- EBT acceptance policy: Participates in the RMP in California (as previously reported)
- Find a restaurant
Hungry Howie’s
- EBT acceptance policy: Participates in the RMP in Arizona[13]
- Find a restaurant
Papa Johns
- EBT acceptance policy: Participates in the RMP in California[4]
- Find a restaurant
Little Caesars
- EBT acceptance policy: Participates in the RMP in Arizona[3] and California (as previously reported)
- Find a restaurant (AZ)
- Find a restaurant (CA)
Giant Pizza King
- EBT acceptance policy: Participates in the RMP in California[4]
- Find a restaurant
Pizza Places That Don’t Take EBT
In the course of my research, I found that the following pizza places generally don’t take EBT (though keep in mind, your state may approve specific locations for EBT acceptance in the future):[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
- Blaze Pizza
- California Pizza Kitchen
- Chuck E. Cheese
- Cicis Pizza
- Donatos Pizza
- Godfather’s Pizza
- Jet’s Pizza
- Marco’s Pizza
- Mellow Mushroom
- MOD Pizza
- Mountain Mike’s Pizza
- Pizza Ranch
- Round Table Pizza
- Uno Pizzeria & Grill
If none of the pizza places near you accept EBT, you might be able to use your benefits at another restaurant, or you can buy frozen pizza from the grocery store.
For more on these options, see my lists of fast food restaurants and grocery stores that take EBT.
