Virginia Restaurant Meals Program

Are you interested in a program that would provide an as-yet-untapped revenue stream for your restaurant, and make you even more integral to the fabric of your local community?

Virginia’s Department of Social Services has reached out to us for help in spreading awareness of an exciting new program that they are administering in conjunction with the US Department of Agriculture. The Virginia Restaurant Meals Program is launching, which will help give elderly, disabled, and unhoused Virginians access to hot, prepared meals. This is an extremely worthy cause, which can be a value-add for both restaurants and their communities.

Eligible SNAP recipients who meet VRMP criteria will be allowed to use their EBT cards to purchase prepared meals at participating restaurants in much the same way that they would at grocery stores. This will be a tremendous step in fighting food insecurity in populations which have particular difficulty in preparing meals for themselves, and it also offers your restaurants a variety of benefits: 
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• Community Engagement: Show your commitment to the community by helping those struggling with food insecurity. Become a neighborhood favorite and foster goodwill. 
• Marketing Opportunities: VDSS will promote your restaurant, raising your visibility and attracting more customers.
• New Revenue Stream: Open a new source of income for your business.
• Streamlined Transactions: A dedicated point-of-sale device makes each SNAP meal transaction a smooth purchasing experience. 

There are no fees associated with participating in the program, however it does require a specific POS system that can accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. You can learn more about that here. There is a short, convenient application process that you can learn more about here. Once you are approved, and your system is ready to accept VRMP customers, DSS will provide VRMP signage that you can display at your restaurant to let folks know! DSS will also feature your restaurant on their locations index for eligible customers. DSS has also compiled a helpful FAQ page on their website, which has more information.

The program is just ramping up, and so this could be an opportunity to be ahead of the curve on this exciting opportunity. I hope you’ll consider applying to this program, and of course in the meantime if you have any questions whatsoever, please reach out to [email protected]. You’re of course welcome also to contact me, and I will be happy to put you into touch with our direct contact on this at DSS.
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Thanks for all you’re doing!

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