Small Business News

Amex Launches Third Annual Historic Restaurant Grant Program

For the third consecutive year, American Express is partnering with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help small business owners. The “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” initiative will once again see the credit card company funding a total of $1 million in grants to 25 businesses, with each selected location being awarded $40,000. Additionally, the restaurants selected will be offered one complimentary year of ResyOS to help them streamline costs and manage operations.

Local restaurants interested in applying for this latest round of grants can do so visiting the program’s website. Applications are now open and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on March 12th. In order to be eligible for grants, restaurants must be independently owned, operate in historic buildings or neighborhoods, and “have a diverse story about cuisine and community in America.” While business owners are welcome to submit their own restaurants for consideration, diners and community members can also submit nominations on the site.

As mentioned, since the Backing Historic Small Restaurants program began in 2021, the program has delivered a total of $2 million to 50 businesses across the nation. Among them is Miller’s Soul Food in Dublin, Georgia, which used the grant money to update their exterior, as well as invest in more energy-efficient windows and doors. Similarly, another past recipient, Stamps Super Burgers in Jackson, Mississippi (featured in the image above), was able to preserve and update their building thanks to the grant.

Commenting on the launch of this year’s program, American Express CP of Community Impact Alice Lin Fabiano stated, “We’re proud to give small restaurants the resources they need to grow their businesses and continue their legacies for years to come. The Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program reaffirms our long-standing commitment to backing small business owners.”

Meanwhile, National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Chief Preservation Officer Katherine Malone-France added, “Historic small and independent restaurants face many challenges, yet they continue to anchor their communities in invaluable ways, sharing cultural traditions and creating special places for gathering and celebrating together. The National Trust is honored to partner with American Express to protect and sustain these places as they reflect all our stories, memories, and traditions.”

While the Backing Historic Small Restaurants initiative is far from Amex’s only effort to help small businesses during these challenging times, it’s great to see that the program is continuing. Furthermore, seeing the effect that the grants have had on past recipients is honestly heart-warming — not to mention the impacts that these improvements can have on the neighborhoods that these small restaurants are located in. With that in mind, those interested in nominating a deserving business or restaurateurs who want to apply for themselves should make sure to do so before the March 12th deadline.