In less than a week, Tony & Alba’s Pizza and Pasta served meals to 150 kids whose federal food stamps are being cut. Monster Pho in Oakland has served at least 130 to-go bags of soup. Al Pastor Papi, a taqueria in San Francisco’s Union Square, handed out so many free burritos in a day the owner can’t keep up.

Along with the overwhelming demand from parents to feed their children as the government shutdown enters its sixth week, another interesting phenomenon is occurring:

Paying customers are lining up to support the restaurant owners, purchasing extra large orders, donating bags of groceries to give to parents and in some cases, handing over $100 bills to help the cause.

“It breaks my heart to think about these kids going hungry,” said Anna Tran, 45, who drove from Milpitas to San Jose

See Full Page