Cheyenne restaurant owners step up to feed SNAP recipients while benefits are delayed

CHEYENNE (WNE) — While the government shutdown delays Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, leaving families unsure of how they might put food on the table, four Cheyenne restaurant owners didn’t wait for a solution — they created one.

Mr. Jim’s Pizza, Ranch Eats, A Little Taste of Texas and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit are offering free meals to community members in need, turning their kitchens into a lifeline for neighbors struggling to make ends meet until benefits are restored.

All four restaurant owners said they decided to give out the free meals for the same reason: Everyone deserves to eat.

Mr. Jim’s is offering a small one-topping pizza to kids and seniors who present their SNAP card. Adults with SNAP cards can buy up to two more pizzas at half price.

Mike Gire, who owns both of the Mr. Jim’s locations in Cheyenne and one in Sheridan, said he came up with the idea to do this after speaking with some members of his staff about the struggles people have been facing recently.

Gire said the company will continue to offer the free pizzas for as long as necessary.

Troy Strand, owner of Ranch Eats, is offering a free soup and salad meal to people who present their SNAP cards Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Strand announced this on the Ranch Eats Facebook page Wednesday.

Like Gire, Strand said the response has been overwhelmingly positive in a short amount of time. He said 26 people came in on Thursday alone to partake in the free meal.

This story was published on Nov. 7, 2025.