SEATTLE — As a government shutdown drags into its 28th day, nearly 500,000 Washington families face losing their federal food assistance starting Nov. 1, according to the state Department of Social and Health Services.
But Seattle’s Toasted Bagel & Coffee is fighting back. Starting Saturday, the café with locations in South Lake Union, University District and Bellevue will launch a campaign to feed those hit hardest: their “Put It On My Neighbor’s Tab” initiative offers free breakfast — no questions asked. Just say the phrase and get a meal, with the café covering the first 100 breakfasts and donations funding the rest.
Murat Akyuz, 24, co-founder of Toasted, knows the struggle firsthand. “When we first immigrated to the U.S., we relied on SNAP benefits to get through. My dad worked 70-plus hours, but we still needed that extra $500, $700 to shop for groceries,” he said…