American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation Announce $1+ Million Grant Program for “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” in the U.S.
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$1 million in grants funded byAmerican Express will be administered by theNational Trust and awarded to 25 historic and culturally significant restaurants in theU.S. to help them navigate the impacts of the pandemic and support their financial recovery. -
As part of the grant program, AT&T Business and
will also offer up toDell Technologies $250,000 collectively in products and services to the grantees to upgrade their digital business capabilities. -
Historic small restaurants can be suggested for consideration at SavingPlaces.org/HistoricRestaurants. Final grantees will be selected by the
National Trust , with input fromAmerican Express and a chef advisory committee including chefsDeborah VanTrece ,Edouardo Jordan , andKwame Onwuachi . - The focus of the program will be on restaurants owned by underrepresented groups, including People of Color and women, disproportionally impacted by the pandemic.
Through the grant program, small historic restaurant owners will have the opportunity to improve, upgrade, and preserve their physical spaces and online businesses, as well as mitigate existing operating costs. For example, restaurants can rehabilitate the exteriors of historic buildings and facades, expand outdoor dining, upgrade their takeout and online ordering systems, or establish a stronger online presence. Updates like these are critical for future success in a post-pandemic world.
“For generations, our nation’s oldest and most historic small restaurants have been safe spaces for customers to share meals, ideas, and their culture. They are at the heart of our neighborhoods, serve our communities, and help advance cultural and social change for those who live there,” said
As part of the grant program, American Express’s partners are also joining in to support these historic small restaurants:
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AT&T Business and
Dell Technologies will each offer up to$5K to each awarded historic small restaurant for a collective total of up to$250K to spend on products and services for digital upgrades. -
Resy, a hospitality technology platform that is part of the
American Express family, will offer complimentary use of ResyOS – its restaurant management software – for one year to each of the historic small restaurants selected to help streamline costs and boost restaurant operations. -
Main Street America will provide specialized technical assistance on small business marketing strategy for grantees, delivered through a series of three training webinars and Q&A “ask the expert” opportunities with
UrbanMain Marketing Specialists . -
The
National Restaurant Association andNational Restaurant Association Educational Foundation will also offer access to virtual educational tools and training to support the 25-awarded restaurants, as well as up to 75 nominees.
“American entrepreneurship is a defining aspect of our nation’s heritage, and historic commercial landmarks are vital to community identity and economics,” said
The grantees will be announced in May to coincide with National Preservation Month.
Grant Selection Criteria for Eligible
- Have experienced significant financial hardship due to the impacts of the pandemic.
- Have contributed to the neighborhood’s history and/or the identity of a particular neighborhood or community for at least 25 years.
- Be a small/independently owned restaurant located in a historic building and/or historic neighborhood.
- Preference will be given to businesses owned by underrepresented groups, including People of Color and women, disproportionally impacted by the pandemic.
- Priority will be given to small restaurants who have not already received significant COVID-19-related aid.
Building on
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1 Estimate is based on average takeout sales as reported by restaurant owners surveyed and the total number of small restaurants in the US as reported by the
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Jacob.B.Wilson@aexp.com
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