Backing Historic Small Restaurants
This year, 50 historic small restaurants across the country will each receive a $50,000 grant.
Now in its fifth year, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are once again supporting 50 small or independently owned restaurants across the country through the Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program. Each restaurant—all places that contribute to their neighborhood's unique history and identity—will receive $50,000 in funding to help them improve their businesses and positively impact their communities.
The deadline for grant applications and public nominations was June 2, 2025.
Since it began, the Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program has granted nearly $5.7 million to 130 historic restaurants (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) to help restaurants address critical needs amid ongoing economic challenges. This critical financial support helps small restaurant owners better navigate economic challenges, disasters, or other hardships so that their establishments' legacies can continue.
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Have questions? Please check out our Frequently Asked Questions, or email historicrestaurants@savingplaces.org.
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