Pasadena Food Businesses Eligible for Free Equipment, EBT Expansion Through New ‘Dine Local’ Program

More than 26,000 food businesses across Los Angeles County — the taco trucks, family-run restaurants, and independent cafés that anchor neighborhood commercial strips — are now eligible for free technology upgrades, compliance supplies, and access to new customer revenue through a county initiative launched this week.

The program, called Dine Local, allows qualifying food businesses to apply for up to five categories of support through a single online application: contactless and chip-enabled card reader devices donated by Square, compostable foodware that meets the county’s single-use plastics ordinance, personal protective equipment, workforce hiring and training connections, and enrollment assistance for the CalFresh Restaurant Meals Program, which enables restaurants to accept Electronic Benefits Transfer cards for hot, prepared meals.

The initiative is a joint effort of the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), the County Sustainability Office (CSO), and the Department of Public Works (DPW). It operates under Shop Local LA County, a broader campaign aimed at directing consumer spending toward local small businesses.

The Restaurant Meals Program component carries particular significance. Through it, CalFresh participants who are homeless, elderly, or disabled can use their EBT cards to buy cooked meals at participating restaurants — a benefit that simultaneously expands food access for vulnerable residents and opens a reliable revenue stream for small operators.

“Food is at the center of our communities, and the small businesses that provide it deserve to be supported and given the opportunity to thrive,” said LA County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis.

The program arrives as independent food businesses face compounding pressures. Rising food and labor costs, persistent supply chain disruptions, and a series of economic shocks — the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, and immigration enforcement actions — have driven closures across the sector. High commercial rents and the cost of living in the Los Angeles region have made conditions especially difficult for small and independent establishments.

The public and private investment behind Dine Local includes $150,000 from the California Ocean Protection Council for compostable foodware supplies, $44,250 in donated Square point-of-sale card readers, and $7,000 in personal protective equipment funded through DEO’s Safer at Work program under the American Rescue Plan Act. County officials said resources would be updated as more become available.

“Dine Local delivers practical, revenue-focused tools — from modern payment systems to workforce connections — so our local food entrepreneurs can compete, grow, and thrive,” said Kelly LoBianco, Director of the DEO.

To qualify, a business must be consumer-facing, independently owned, currently operating in LA County, with fewer than 100 employees and less than $6 million in annual revenue.

Businesses can apply for one or all available resources through a single online application at ShopLocal.LA/DineLocal. Upon submission and eligibility confirmation, businesses will be contacted with instructions for receiving equipment and supplies, along with guidance on enrolling in the Restaurant Meals Program and connecting with America’s Job Centers of California.