America’s small and independent restaurants looking to preserve their histories while celebrating their cuisines are invited to apply for financial assistance from the Backing Historic Small Restaurants (BHSR) grants.
The program, now in its fifth year, is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and supported by American Express.
This year, it will provide 50 U.S. historic restaurants with a $50,000 grant for a total of $2.5 million in funding, according to a news release.
Since its inception, the BHSR program has distributed more than $5 million to 130 historic restaurant owners in all 50 states. The grants help restaurants address critical needs amid ongoing economic challenges. The critical financial support helps small restaurant owners better navigate economic challenges, disasters, or other hardships so their establishments’ legacies can continue.
This initiative is part of America Express’ larger “Backing Small” grants program. It includes the Backing International Small Restaurants program, which launched Monday, May 12. Together, the “Backing Small” restaurant grant programs will provide a total of $3.95 million in funding and other resources in 2025 to restaurants around the world.
“American Express is proud to back local champions who strengthen their communities, and that includes many small and independent restaurants,” Madge Thomas, head of corporate sustainability and president of American Express Foundation, said in a news release. “Food brings people together and builds community. We aim to offer restaurants the support they need to expand, innovate, update their spaces, and improve operations, so they continue to grow and bring vitality to neighborhoods across the U.S. and around the world.”
Applications close May 30
Applications for BHSR grants opened Monday, May 12. They will close on Friday, May 30. Restaurant owners can apply here. Community members also can nominate their favorite restaurant for a grant.
“American Express is an invaluable partner to the National Trust as together we work to strengthen neighborhoods across the country by supporting these small businesses that bring people together,” said Carol Quillen, its president and CEO.
American Express also is the founder of Small Business Saturday. Since 2020, their grants have supported nearly 5,000 small businesses across six countries and 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Small Business Saturday has taken root across the country, including in the Quad Cities, and is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Past grantees have used the funding to make much needed infrastructure changes. Stephen Reeve, a 2024 Backing Historic Small Restaurants winner, runs New York Café in Ketchikan, Alaska. The restaurant is the state’s longest operating restaurant – built by adventurer Tony Ohashi more than 120 years ago.
The BHSR grant helped Mr. Reeve to restore key elements of the building façade and better document the cafe’s history with historic signage. “We want to honor the families that created the New York Café and much more of the surrounding historic Stedman-Thomas neighborhood,” he said in the release.
American Express launched Backing Historic Small Restaurants, and its sister program Backing International Small Restaurants, when many restaurants were forced to close their doors during the pandemic.
It has expanded the grant support over the years to help small restaurant owners address their evolving needs. Learn more about American Express’ community impact here.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately-funded nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities maintain and enhance the power of historic places.
