Local pizza shops step up to support SNAP families during shutdown

BELOIT, Wis. (WTVO) — As the government shutdown continues, Juanito’s Pizza in Beloit is offering free cheese pizzas to families with children under 12 who are SNAP recipients starting November 1st.

The initiative comes as families face uncertainty over SNAP food benefits due to the ongoing government shutdown. Juanito’s Pizza, located at 1802 Harrison Avenue, aims to ensure that families in the Stateline area do not go hungry.

“We plan on giving away one per family. Ten-inch cheese pizza, we would like it if they came in with proof of I.D. that matches their SNAP or EBT cards. I have five children myself, and I know the struggle come from the struggle,” said Juanito’s Pizza owner Karina Mar.

Juanito’s Pizza’s initiative has inspired other local businesses to follow suit. Bravo Pizza in Belvidere, located at 1474 N State Street, is offering meals to SNAP recipients, including options like spaghetti and mostaccioli.

Alyssa Morgan, the owner of Bravo Pizza, said, “You can either do a ten-inch cheese pizza or a spaghetti or a mostaccioli. If you’re a SNAP recipient, you can buy that special and then get a free item with it. I’m worried, worried for my people. Worried for the world. I mean, everyone will be affected.”

Both restaurants are preparing to serve families starting November 1st, with Juanito’s Pizza launching a GoFundMe for community members to sponsor a pizza.

“I’m glad to be part of the solution. We want people to be able to eat. We want people to be able to enjoy food, not just, you know, peanut butter and jelly, but everyone should get to splurge sometimes,” Mar said.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.