50 historic small restaurants receive $50,000 grants

Fifty small historic restaurants across the country have received a $50,000 grant from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation as part of the Small Historic Restaurant Support Program.

The program, run by the National Trust and now in its fourth year, gives a monetary boost to small restaurants located in historic buildings or neighborhoods that “bring cultural significance to their communities through their history, cuisine and location.” The grants aim to help restaurants improve, renovate and grow their businesses.

Four historic California restaurants received grants, more recipients than in any other state. Texas, New York and New Mexico each have three recipients. All recipients also received free access to restaurant management software for one year.

The historic restaurants that received grants are in diverse geographic locations. The Gold Hill Inn in Gold Hill, Colorado, for example, is located in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 8,300 feet in a former gold mining town with about 220 residents. The Food For Thought restaurant is in the high desert town of Joshua Tree in California, and Hannibal’s Soul Kitchen is on the coast of Charleston, the most populous city in South Carolina.

“For four years, our partnership with American Express has supported more than 100 small, independent restaurants across the country, each with a distinctive story and representing a diverse range of cuisines,” said Carol Quillen, executive director of the National Trust. “Equally important is what these restaurants share. They are beloved gathering places in their neighborhoods. In many cases, they have been run by the same family for generations.”

The $2.5 million in grants awarded to restaurants this year represented an increase from last year, when $1 million was awarded. American Express launched the Backing Historic Small Restaurants program in 2021 in partnership with the National Trust “to support historic and culturally significant restaurants during the pandemic.” Restaurants in every state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have received grants.

“Small restaurants are vital to our communities and their impact lives on,” said Madge Thomas, director of corporate sustainability at American Express. “They continue to innovate and make their neighborhoods more vibrant and connected.”

Missy Kelleher, a beneficiary and owner of Bernice’s Bakery in Missoula, Montana, says many Missoulans have grown up with the restaurant as part of their lives.

“When riding their bikes home from elementary school, the kids love to stop by for a bite to eat,” Kelleher says. “When they have a lunch break at the nearby high school, students stop by for a sample salad and a cupcake. As adults, they’ve ordered their wedding cakes. Generational traditions have remained strong for more than 45 years. This grant will allow us to increase seating capacity and improve curb appeal, thereby supporting our mission of being a community gathering place for locals and visitors.”