How to apply for Michigan Restaurant Meal Program (RMP) for SNAP Households

Who it's for

Michigan's Restaurant Meal Program lets some people who get SNAP food benefits use their Michigan Bridge card to buy hot, prepared meals at participating restaurants. Everyone in the SNAP group must be 60 or older, disabled, or homeless (a spouse of an eligible person also counts). There is no separate application: if you already get SNAP and meet the rule, you can use your card at a participating restaurant. Find restaurants on the MDHHS map or list. If you do not get SNAP yet, apply for SNAP first through MI Bridges.

What you'll need

• Your Michigan Bridge card (SNAP must already be active)

Where to apply

Step by step

1. Check that you already get SNAP food benefits. The Restaurant Meal Program is only for households with active SNAP.
2. If you do not get SNAP yet, apply for SNAP first online through MI Bridges. Come back to this program after your SNAP is active.
3. Make sure everyone in your SNAP group is 60 or older, disabled (gets disability or blindness payments), or homeless. A spouse of an eligible person also counts.
4. Know that there is no separate application for this program. If you get SNAP and meet the rule, you can use your card at a participating restaurant.
5. Look up participating restaurants on the MDHHS map or list. Restaurants are not in every county, so check what is near you.
6. Take your Michigan Bridge card to a participating restaurant and use it to pay for a hot, prepared meal.

What to expect: There is nothing to submit for this program, so there is no approval wait. It does not add any money to your card. It lets you spend your existing SNAP benefits on prepared meals at participating restaurants. You can keep using it as long as you keep getting SNAP and your whole SNAP group still meets the rule. If you have questions about your SNAP case, contact MDHHS.

Renewals

ongoing while you get SNAP

Related programs

Other help that people in the same situation often look at.

• Food AssistanceCommodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Senior Food BoxU.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (administered by your state)
• Food AssistanceCongregate Meals at Senior CentersAdministration for Community Living (delivered locally by Area Agencies on Aging)
• NutritionSenior Project FRESH / Market FRESH (Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program)Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Aging, Community Living, and Supports Bureau
• Housing AssistanceCommunity Transition Services — help moving out of a nursing home (Michigan Medicaid)Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), delivered by Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living and other transition agencies

See all programs in Michigan →