As SNAP Lapses, One Grocer Fights to Feed his Community
A shocking policy stands in the way of helping SNAP recipients
34 days into the longest government shutdown in history, as SNAP benefits began to lapse, Young Kim took to social media to confess: “Last night, I was very ashamed of myself…” He had been planning Thanksgiving promotion for his store, Jubilee Marketplace, as most grocers do in November.
But as Young saw his peers mobilize to collect and distribute food directly to their communities, he hit pause. When Christine Liu, co-founder of HEYDOH, reached out to Young to ask for fresh produce donations, he wondered, “What am I doing to help?”
“Nothing, until now,” he declared on the now-deleted video (reposted below).
Young Kim is not your average, anonymous grocery store CEO. In 2023, he went viral for selling $2.55 smash burgers at the newly-opened Jubilee Marketplace Greenpoint. In 2025, Pete Wells of the New York Times wrote him up for lowering the price of groceries in his store, often checking each SKU individually against local competitors. Now, he wants to take on the government shutdown and its subsequent SNAP freeze.
He did not anticipate how difficult that would be.
After sharing a video offering a 25% discount to SNAP recipients, friends at RiseBoro Farmers Markets alerted Young about the SNAP Equal Treatment Rule, which states that retailers “cannot treat SNAP-EBT customers differently than any other customer”. According to USDA guidelines, “This equal treatment provision prohibits both negative treatment (such as discriminatory practices) as well as preferential treatment (such as incentive programs).”
In effect, a 25% discount for those who have lost their benefits is strictly prohibited. In order to circumvent the rule, retailers must apply for a SNAP Incentive Waiver Request.
Young decided to remove the video to comply with the rule. “I understand that policies and rules and laws are made with a broader vision, but at the same time, I feel like this is a special circumstance where the funding has been reduced to 50% [from 100%]. So why can’t I help?” he laments. “The rules weren’t really detailed, and I just didn’t want the person using the SNAP-EBT to be penalized because of us.”
When Young initially announced his incentive program, he was heartened to see other retailers following suit. “We’re just in one neighborhood,” he explains. “Anything we do to help the community from our initial price reductions to this discount, if others could do it too, it’ll have this chain effect.” After removing his video and issuing a corrective statement, Young reached out to caution other businesses as well. “We should’ve researched more before we initiated this move, but the policy stuff was frustrating,” he reflects. “I had no idea that they would have a policy like this.”
However, Young is not letting that stop him from helping in any way he can. He established a food drive in Greenpoint with weekly donations to the Greenpoint Hunger Program, and has committed to matching every donated dried good with a fresh produce item. “Anytime there’s a big surge in demand like this, the food pantries might run out of supplies,” he said. “I’m hoping to help alleviate that.”
In addition, Young is investigating how he can contribute household items such as paper towels, which are not covered by SNAP benefits. Due to space constraints at the FiDi location of Jubilee, Young has committed to donating an equivalent dollar amount to local food pantries in Lower Manhattan.
Young originally planned to offer 50% off to SNAP recipients, but sheepishly admitted that with his grocery store still not being profitable, he couldn’t. Despite these obstacles, Young never wavered in his resolve to help his neighbors in need. “During my childhood, I received food assistance too, where the elementary school I went to offered free breakfast and free lunch… It really helped me and my family a lot,” he explains. “And anyway, we receive so much from the community as a business. I just want to do anything I can to give back.”
Angela Xu is a curious eater and food storyteller based in NYC. She founded Brooklyn Food Lady in order to share stories at the intersection of food, culture, and community with a focus on amplifying immigrant voices. Her passions include showcasing diverse cuisines, highlighting mom and pop eateries, and exploring the vibrant neighborhoods of New York City.
Rob’s Note: Young Kim has been a contributor to this Substack. He also appeared as a key subject in my Korea documentary. Angela Xu conducted her research and reported this piece independently, based on my initial suggestion for a story.
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