Support the SNAP Benefit Gap with a Pay It Forward Menu Item 

In this Article:

• Support the Snap Benefit Gap with a Pay It Forward Menu Item
• Set Up Pay It Forward Menu Items
• Report on Collected Funds

Support the SNAP Benefit Gap with a Pay It Forward Menu Item 

Restaurants can support guests experiencing a gap in SNAP benefits by creating a Pay It Forward or Community Meal Fund menu item. This item allows paying guests to contribute toward free meals for those in need.

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Set Up Pay It Forward Menu Items

Create one or more of the following item types in a visible, high-traffic section of your menu. You may choose to add a single open-priced item, fixed-price variants, or both, depending on your preference.

1. In Toast Web, go to Menus > Menu manager.
2. Select the drop-down caret next to the Menu and then Group where the item should live
   1. Alternatively, create a new Menu and/or group for these items to live in
3. Select Add Item.
4. Enter a name such as Pay It Forward or Community Meal Fund.
   1. If you plan to use fixed pricing, consider adding the dollar amount into the item name for ease of reporting later. Example: Pay It Forward $5
5. Select Add New
6. Add a description & image if you plan for this item to be available in your digital ordering platforms.
7. Set the Pricing strategy to:
   1. Open price if you'd like the guest to be able to enter any customer amount
   2. Base price if you'd like to give the guest fixed options
8. Consider Prep stations and whether or not you want them to print
9. Consider Channel visibility and decide where guests and employees can see this item
10. Select Save
    
11. Repeat steps 5-10 for each item you'd like to add

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Report on Collected Funds

To track contributions made through Pay It Forward menu items, use Toast's Item Sales reporting.

1. In Toast Web, navigate to Reports > Menus > Product Mix.
2. Select the desired Date Range and Locations
3. Use the drop-down carets to find the items or search for them by name
4. Review Qty sold and Gross Sales columns

This report provides a full breakdown of all collected donations, allowing you to reconcile funds and manage your community meal initiatives.

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