SNAP benefits are depleting for American families, and that resonates personally with the founders of Toasted Bagels & Coffee in Seattle.
“My family relied on SNAP benefits. Jaafar’s, our cofounder, family relied on SNAP benefits when we were young,” stated Murat Akyuz, cofounder of Toasted.
The food assistance program is expected to exhaust funding beginning November 1 due to the federal government shutdown.
On Friday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to continue paying for the SNAP program using contingency funds. It remains unclear when this will happen and how much support beneficiaries will receive.
The Trump administration has argued it cannot legally use contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits as the money is designated for disasters like hurricanes.
However, the President posted on Truth Social that his administration was exploring other avenues.
“I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” President Trump stated.
More than 200,000 people in King County rely on SNAP benefits, and another 118,000 people use the program in Pierce County. Overall, nearly one million people in Washington state receive assistance through the SNAP program.
Inspired by a cafe in Portland, Toasted’s busy locations in South Lake Union and University District are offering free food, bagels, and drinks to any local families who are now without their monthly aid.
“If they just say, ‘Hey, can I put this order on my neighbor’s tab?’ No questions asked, we will provide them the meal for free,” Akyuz explained.
Toasted has promised to cover the first 100 free meals; after that, the restaurant is relying on donations to continue helping feed families in need. Akyuz stated the initial support after Toasted’s first social media post was overwhelming.
“It was like $1,000 an hour,” he stated.
Over the past four days, their ‘Neighbor’s Tab’ program has raised more than $45,000, estimated to be enough to serve approximately 9,000 people.
“It’s just so awesome to see that people are looking out for their neighbor when the systems that we’ve built around us aren’t,” Akyuz stated.
He indicated the restaurant has received well over the anticipated amount of monetary donations and is now encouraging people to donate to local food banks. Still, those interested in donating to Toasted’s program can do so online.
Toasted’s efforts in Seattle have sparked additional support in Tacoma.
“No one should ever go hungry. Especially living in the U.S.,” stated Irving Amezcua, general manager of Radnor’s Burgers & Beignets.
Radnor’s in Tacoma is also offering free meals, burgers, fries and apples, for impacted families with a similar ‘Neighbor’s Tab’ theme in an effort to prevent any feelings of embarrassment.
“There’s a sense of, ‘Man, I don’t want to announce that I’m struggling,'” Amezcua explained. “So saying, ‘put it on my neighbor’s tab,’ it’s an easier way for them not to feel so shamed.”
The restaurant has raised more than $4,000 as of November 1 and is still accepting monetary donations online.
“Anything helps, so don’t be ashamed to put $1, $2,” Amezcua emphasized.
All proceeds will go directly to people in the community facing hunger, regardless of when SNAP may be restored, he stated.
Already, Amezcua and other staff indicated they’re observing the impact they’re having on a national food crisis.
“We had a family come in, and you could tell the mom was very unsure of how to do this stuff, and I kind of pulled her off to the side and said there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Amezcua recalled. “I’ve already teared up a couple of times.”
The SNAP benefit depletion affecting American families nationwide creating immediate crisis for the one million Washington residents dependent on the program, with the funding interruption leaving households without grocery money precisely when rent, utilities, and other fixed expenses continue demanding payment regardless of federal dysfunction.
The Toasted cofounders’ personal SNAP benefit history creating authentic connection to struggling families, with Murat Akyuz and Jaafar’s childhood experiences informing their adult business decisions to support vulnerable populations facing the same food insecurity challenges their families navigated.
The November 1 funding exhaustion deadline creating cliff where benefits suddenly cease rather than gradually declining, with the abrupt cutoff preventing families from adjusting budgets or seeking alternative resources before grocery money disappears leaving refrigerators empty and children hungry.
The federal government shutdown triggering the SNAP crisis representing political dysfunction imposing tangible consequences on low-income Americans, with congressional appropriations gridlock translating directly to empty plates and skipped meals for nearly 900,000 Washington residents who played no role in budget negotiations.
The federal judge order requiring Trump administration to continue SNAP payments using contingency funds providing temporary relief, though the implementation uncertainty regarding timing and benefit amounts creates anxiety for families unsure whether November groceries will materialize or whether they must pursue emergency food assistance.
The Trump administration’s legal argument that contingency funds are designated for disasters like hurricanes rather than government shutdowns representing narrow statutory interpretation, with the position prioritizing budget technicalities over preventing humanitarian crisis where millions of Americans face food insecurity.
The President’s Truth Social post about exploring alternative funding avenues suggesting willingness to resolve the crisis, though the vague commitment without specific timeline or mechanism provides little reassurance to families needing immediate clarity about whether next week’s groceries are secured.
The 200,000 King County SNAP recipients representing approximately 9% of the county’s 2.3 million population, with the proportion demonstrating that food insecurity extends well beyond stereotypical poverty images to encompass working families whose wages inadequately cover Seattle’s high cost of living.
The 118,000 Pierce County beneficiaries adding to regional crisis affecting nearly 320,000 Puget Sound residents, with the combined King and Pierce totals indicating that roughly one in seven people in the metropolitan area depend on federal food assistance for basic nutrition.
The Portland cafe inspiration for Toasted’s free meal program demonstrating how grassroots mutual aid spreads between progressive West Coast cities, with the model’s replication from Oregon to Washington suggesting organic community response networks emerge when government systems fail vulnerable populations.
The South Lake Union and University District locations representing strategic placement serving diverse populations, with South Lake Union’s tech worker concentration and University District’s student community creating donation base with disposable income supporting free meals for struggling neighbors.
The “put this order on my neighbor’s tab” phrasing creating dignity-preserving request mechanism, with the euphemistic language allowing families to receive free meals without explicitly declaring poverty or food insecurity that carries stigma even in progressive Seattle.
The first 100 free meals commitment representing Toasted’s initial investment before crowdsourcing additional support, with the $1,000-per-hour donation rate following social media announcement demonstrating Seattle residents’ eagerness to support neighbors facing food insecurity when presented with accessible giving opportunities.
The $45,000 raised over four days serving approximately 9,000 people calculating to roughly $5 per person, with the modest per-capita cost demonstrating how relatively small donations can meaningfully address immediate hunger while federal systems remain paralyzed.
The “systems that we’ve built around us aren’t” working observation by Akyuz articulating progressive critique that government institutions have failed their fundamental social safety net responsibilities, with the statement implying that restaurant-based charity shouldn’t be necessary in wealthy nation with resources to feed all residents.
The exceeded donation expectations prompting Toasted to redirect supporters toward food banks recognizing the limits of individual restaurant capacity, with the recommendation acknowledging that while the Neighbor’s Tab addresses immediate South Lake Union and University District hunger, the broader regional crisis requires food bank infrastructure serving neighborhoods throughout King County.
The Radnor’s Burgers & Beignets Tacoma program demonstrating the free meal model’s replicability, with the Pierce County restaurant’s participation indicating that Seattle initiatives can inspire similar efforts in adjacent communities facing parallel SNAP benefit disruptions.
Irving Amezcua’s statement that “no one should ever go hungry. Especially living in the U.S.” expressing moral outrage common in progressive communities, with the sentiment reflecting belief that American wealth and agricultural abundance make hunger a policy choice rather than resource scarcity requiring difficult tradeoffs.
The embarrassment and shame emphasis in both restaurants’ approaches recognizing the psychological barriers preventing hungry people from seeking assistance, with the Neighbor’s Tab euphemism attempting to reduce stigma that might otherwise leave families suffering silently rather than accepting offered meals.
The $4,000 Radnor’s fundraising as of November 1 representing more modest totals than Toasted’s $45,000 but still meaningful support, with the difference potentially reflecting Tacoma’s smaller population, lower average incomes compared to Seattle, or less extensive social media reach amplifying the campaign.
The commitment to serve community regardless of when SNAP restores providing open-ended support acknowledging the funding uncertainty, with Radnor’s pledge indicating the restaurant views addressing hunger as ongoing moral obligation rather than temporary crisis response ending when government benefits resume.
The tearful staff interactions with struggling families humanizing the food insecurity crisis beyond statistics, with Amezcua’s emotional response to the uncertain mother demonstrating how frontline service workers witness dignity-stripping impacts of policy failures affecting neighbors they serve daily.
