Roughly 55 restaurants across Michigan accept EBT through the state’s Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), including many Subway, Taco Bell, KFC, Domino’s Pizza, McDonald’s, and Popeyes locations alongside dozens of independent eateries. The catch most people don’t hear about: your Bridge Card only works at those restaurants if every member of your household on food assistance is elderly, disabled, or homeless.
Chains on the Michigan RMP List
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services publishes an updated list of every approved RMP restaurant. As of March 2026, the national chains with multiple participating locations are:1Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Michigan Restaurant Meal Program – Participating Restaurant List
- Subway has the widest coverage, with locations in more than 60 Michigan cities from Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids to Traverse City and Saginaw.
- Taco Bell participates in roughly 50 cities, concentrated in southeast Michigan, the Flint area, and the Saginaw Valley.
- KFC has about 20 locations statewide, including Detroit, Bay City, Flint, Houghton, and Iron River.
- Domino’s Pizza participates in Macomb and Oakland Counties, including Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, Warren, and Royal Oak.
- McDonald’s has a smaller footprint than you’d expect: Jackson, Grand Rapids, Byron Center, Grandville, Kentwood, and Wyoming.
- Popeyes participates in Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Greenville, Muskegon, and Waterford.
Franchise participation is location-by-location, not corporate. One Subway or McDonald’s in your town taking EBT doesn’t mean the next one does. Always confirm the specific address before you order.
Local Restaurants and How to Find One Near You
Beyond the chains, the list includes spots like Eastside Fish Fry in Lansing, Happy’s Pizza in Flint and Farmington Hills, Sahara Mediterranean Grill in Shelby Township, and YumVillage in Detroit, with concentrations in the Detroit metro area, Flint, Lansing, and Grand Rapids.
MDHHS offers two tools for locating RMP restaurants: a downloadable PDF list sorted by name and city, and an interactive map you can search by location. Both are linked from the official RMP page at michigan.gov/mdhhs.2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Restaurant Meal Program Participating restaurants typically display an EBT sign on the door or window.3Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Restaurant Meal Program Frequently Asked Questions – EBT Recipients Restaurants join and drop out through the year, so a quick call before your first visit is worth it.
Who Can Actually Use the Card at a Restaurant
Showing up with a Bridge Card isn’t enough. To pay with EBT at a Michigan RMP restaurant, every member of your household receiving Food Assistance Program benefits must fall into at least one of these categories:2Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Restaurant Meal Program
- Age 60 or older.
- Receiving disability or blindness payments, or receiving disability retirement benefits from a government agency for a permanent disability.
- Homeless, meaning you lack permanent housing where you can store and prepare food.
- Married to someone who qualifies under any of the above.
The “every member” rule is the one most people miss. If you’re 65 and your 30-year-old non-disabled child is on the same FAP case, the household doesn’t qualify. The federal rule applies to the household, not just the primary cardholder.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program
There’s no separate application. If you’re already listed as elderly, disabled, or homeless in your MDHHS case file, your Bridge Card is automatically set up for restaurant purchases. You can log into MIBridges to check whether your account shows RMP eligibility, and if you think you should qualify but don’t, contact your caseworker about how your case is coded.3Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Restaurant Meal Program Frequently Asked Questions – EBT Recipients
What the Card Covers at the Register
RMP benefits pay for prepared meals intended for immediate consumption.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program Federal law excludes alcoholic beverages, tobacco, vitamins and supplements, medicines, and non-food items from any SNAP purchase.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 USC 2012 – Definitions
Two restaurant-specific charges aren’t covered: tips and delivery fees. You’ll need cash, debit, or credit for either one.3Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Restaurant Meal Program Frequently Asked Questions – EBT Recipients
Paying works like a debit card. You swipe or insert, enter your four-digit PIN, and the receipt shows your remaining balance. Restaurants cannot charge sales tax on SNAP purchases.6Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Retailer Notice – Sales Tax, Fees, and Refunds If your order exceeds your balance, or includes items EBT can’t cover, tell the cashier before they ring you up that you’ll split payment. Sales tax then applies only to the non-EBT portion. You can check your FAP balance at ebtEDGE.com or by calling EBT Customer Service at 1-888-678-8914, available 24 hours a day.7Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Payment
If the Transaction Is Declined or You Need a Refund
Declines usually trace to three things: insufficient balance, a restaurant that recently left the program, or an account that isn’t coded for RMP eligibility. Check your balance, confirm the restaurant is still on the current MDHHS list, and if both look fine, call your caseworker.
Refunds on EBT restaurant purchases must be processed electronically back to your EBT account. Federal rules prohibit restaurants from giving cash back for a SNAP purchase; doing so is trafficking and is illegal.6Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Retailer Notice – Sales Tax, Fees, and Refunds If a restaurant offers cash instead of an electronic refund, that’s a warning sign.
Your Bridge Card Only Works at Restaurants in a Handful of States
The Restaurant Meals Program is a state option. Only nine states currently run one: Arizona, California, Illinois (Cook and Franklin Counties only), Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia.4Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program Travel outside those nine states and your Bridge Card won’t work at restaurants, though it will still buy groceries anywhere in the country. Within Michigan, your RMP benefits work at any participating restaurant regardless of the county you live in.