Restaurant Owners Questions and Answers

The Restaurant Meals Program (RMMP) is a voluntary component of CalFresh or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It enables the homeless, elderly (age 60 or over), and disabled CalFresh individuals to purchase prepared meals at participating restaurants. Its goal is to provide a variety of nutritious meal choices to eligible CalFresh individuals.

There are no fees that a restaurant owner must pay to County of Los Angeles-Department of Public Social Services (LAC-DPSS) for RMP participation or to be part of the “Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) Waiting List.”

Yes, you can apply for all your restaurants to participate in the RMP.

The entire process takes approximately 120 days, which consists of 45 to 60 days to execute the contract (i.e. Memorandum of Understanding) with a restaurant and 60 days from the contract execution for restaurant to complete the certification process with the United States Department of Agriculture-Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS).

EBT meals purchases are usually reimbursed within forty-eight hours.

The state issued EBT equipment or your EBT integrated Point-of-Sale (POS) devise has an Automated Eligibility Identifier that enables to automatically identify if an EBT card can be processed for the CalFresh RMP. EBT cards work similar to ATM and credit cards.

You may inform the customer to contact his/her CalFresh Eligibility Worker at the local Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) office or to call the EBT Customer Service Helpline at  877-328-9677 or the TYY at 800-735-2929.

The restaurant owner must notify the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services (LAC-DPSS) and the United States Department of Agriculture-Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) when a restaurant closes. This ensures that the authorization is cancelled immediately since the previous owner's authorization is NOT TRANSFERABLE.

Send LAC-DPSS a request letter with following information:

·         Date of Request;

·         Date the restaurant Closed;

·         Restaurant Name;

·         Restaurant Address;

·         Restaurant Telephone Number;

·         Owner Name and Title;

·         Signature of Owner(s);

·         Owner’s Contact Telephone Number; and

·         Owner’s Email Address (if available).

The restaurant owner may email the request letter to  restaurantmealsprogram@dpss.lacounty.gov or mail it to:

CalFresh Nutrition Program Section

Restaurant Meals Program

12820 Crossroads Parkway South

City of Industry, CA 91746

United States Department of Agriculture-Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) can be contacted at the Retailer Service Center (877) 823-4369.  

Yes, an EBT cardholder not eligible for the program, but does have EBT cash portion on its card may use it at any sites with EBT equipment, even at the Restaurant Meals Program sites.

CalFresh/Cash Restaurants have two options for having EBT at their business. The first option is to participate in the RMP and the second option is to participate in the State EBT/Cash Assistance service. Restaurants will select EBT vendor of their choice to obtain a POS device to process EBT transactions. The 2014 Farm Bill requires restaurants participating in the RMP to pay POS fee if the restaurants select the State and County EBT vendor-Fidelity Information Services and the contact number is (866) 328-4212.

Option 1 – Restaurant Meals Program

To participate in the RMP, restaurants must first enter into a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services (LAC-DPSS). The restaurants then must be certified by the United States Department of Agriculture-Food and Nutrition Services (USDA-FNS) to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for Communal Dining Facilities. The restaurants must provide a Health Permit, Seller's Permit and Business License, and corporation paperwork, if applicable.

Only restaurants participating in the RMP can process both EBT/CalFresh and EBT/Cash. LAC-DPSS does not charge restaurant owner fees to participate in the RMP.

Option 2 – EBT/Cash Assistance with State

Restaurants can process EBT/Cash by having a contract with the State.  This option allows only EBT/Cash to be processed and it does not require the restaurants to be certified by USDA-FNS or to be in contract with LAC-DPSS.  Restaurants interested in the State EBT/Cash Assistance service can contact Fidelity Information Services by calling (866) 328-4212.

Yes. The RMP-MOU can be recommenced for both the “Change of Ownership” and the “Restaurant Moves to a Nearby Location.”

As a part of standard policy, a restaurant’s acceptance of EBT or participation in the RMP is terminated whenever there is a change in ownership, or the restaurant moves to a nearby location.  However, DPSS will sign a new RMP-MOU with a new restaurant owner for the Change of Ownership or with the current restaurant owner for the “Restaurant Moves to a Nearby Location.” 

New restaurant owner must provide the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services (LAC-DPSS) with the following information:

·         Date of Change of Ownership

·         Name of Restaurant

·         Restaurant Address

·         Restaurant Telephone Number

·         Owner’s Name

·         Owner’s Contact Telephone Number

·         Owner’s Email Address

·         Letter of Termination from the prior owner, if possible

For Change of Ownership, restaurant owner may email requested information to restaurantmealsprogram@dpss.lacounty.gov or mail it to:

·         CalFresh Nutrition Program Section

·         Restaurant Meals Program

·         12820 Crossroads Parkway South

·         City of Industry, CA 91746

LAC-DPSS will contact the new restaurant owner by mail.  LAC-DPSS does not charge restaurant owner fees to participate in the RMP.

Restaurant owner must provide the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services (LAC-DPSS) with the following information:

·         Name of Restaurant;

·         Restaurant Address;

·         Restaurant Telephone Number;

·         Owner’s Name;

·         Owner’s Contact Telephone Number; and

·         Owner’s Email Address.

Restaurant owner may email the requested information to restaurantmealsprogram@dpss.lacounty.gov or mail it to:

CalFresh Nutrition Program Section

Restaurant Meals Program

12820 Crossroads Parkway South

City of Industry, CA 91746

Seller’s Permit – Contact California Board of Equalizations at (800) 400-7115.

Business License – Contact Los Angeles County Treasure and Tax Collector at (213) 974-2011.

State of Information – Contact California Secretary of State at (916) 657-5448.

Health Permit – Contact Los Angeles County Department of Public Health at (626) 430-5350.

Retailers (e.g. markets, convenience stores, USDA-FNS) – Contact United States Department of Agriculture-Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) at (877) 823-4369.

EBT related issues – Contact Fidelity Information Services at (866) 328-4212.