Kraft opens ‘free’ grocery store for unpaid federal workers

Kraft Heinz Co. is offering a helping hand to federal workers who have been without pay amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history by offering them unlimited free Kraft food products.

The food giant announced Tuesday that it is opening a pop-up grocery store in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to help workers who are struggling to make ends meet.

Called “Kraft Now Pay Later,” it will allow federal workers to stock up on the company’s staples such as its famous mac and cheese mix and other items for free.

The only caveat is that the Chicago-based food maker wants workers who can to pay it forward by donating to their favorite charity or help someone in need once their back pay comes through.

“During the government shutdown, parents should not have to worry about putting dinner on the table because they aren’t receiving a paycheck,” Sergio Eleuterio, head of marketing for Kraft, said in statement.

The pop-up location, however, will only be open through Sunday.

And this isn’t the first time the iconic food company has jumped into public controversies.

In June, as reported by FOX Business, it announced its Country Time Lemonade unit will defend and pay for any fines related to children-run lemonade stands getting shut down for not having a permit.

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“We recently came across a story of a kid getting her lemonade stand shut down for legal reasons, which had to be an urban myth. After looking into it and seeing even more instances, we realized these weren’t myths, they were real stories,” Adam Butler, general manager for beverage and nuts for Kraft Heinz, told Fox Business in June.