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Backing International Small Restaurants Grant Program
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American Express and the International Downtown Association Foundation today announced the 2025 grantees of the Backing International Small Restaurants grant program, an initiative that honors restaurants that have demonstrated a positive impact in their communities. Now in its fourth year, the initiative will award over $1.4 million to 97 small and independently owned restaurants across 14 cities in the UK, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Spain, and France. Since its launch in 2022, the program has supported 237 restaurants with over $3.2 million in funding.
This year's 97 grantees are more than places to eat—they're crossroads where communities connect through food, art, and shared experiences. From a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Paris making live music accessible to all, to a vibrant art-themed café in Mexico City offering book clubs and exhibition space, these small businesses foster dialogue and connection across communities. Led by passionate and resilient owners, the grants will help modernize dining spaces, improve kitchen operations, and enhance digital tools, empowering them to grow, adapt, and thrive while fueling local economies and enriching the soul of their cities.
Freims is one of the 2025 grantees of the Backing International Small Restaurants program. Founded in 2016 in Mexico City, Freims is a café and artistic venue founded by a photographer, writer, and musician who were united by a shared dream: to build a community hub where people could feel at home, surrounded by art, literature, and music. With the grant, Freims will make accessibility improvements such as ramps, braille menus, and children's seating to ensure that everyone feels welcome. Carlos Metta, co-founder of Freims, said: "This support helps us strengthen the bridge between local artists and our community. It's not just an investment in a café — it's an investment in artistic culture and neighborhood vibrancy."
Doublevie is another grantee of this year's Backing International Small Restaurants program. Based in Paris, it is a festive restaurant offering live music and inventive cuisine with Mediterranean influences, with dishes to share in a warm atmosphere. Doublevie will use its grant funding to revamp its kitchen equipment, provide its team with operational tools and renovate its DJ mixing desk. "This grant helps us keep the energy alive and the doors open to everyone — upgrading our space and supporting our team so we can continue hosting free DJ nights and welcoming the community to discover the sounds of tomorrow," said Alexandre Bortenlänger, owner of Doublevie.
"Small restaurants rooted in their communities bring energy, flavor, and heart to cities around the world. They preserve culture, create jobs, and bring people together," said Madge Thomas, Head of Corporate Sustainability at American Express. "The Backing International Small Restaurants program aims to empower small businesses that make a difference in their communities around the world. These grants are more than financial support; they are investments in neighborhood anchors."
"As we celebrate the fourth year of the Backing International Small Restaurants program, we are continually inspired by the resilience and positive impact of the small, independent restaurants selected as this year's grantees," said David Downey, Executive Director, International Downtown Association Foundation. "These restaurants are the heart and soul of their neighborhoods, and through the generous, sustained support of American Express, we are proud to help strengthen the fabric of our global communities."
This initiative complements American Express's Backing Historic Small Restaurants program, which has provided over $8 million to 180 restaurants across all 50 U.S. states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands since its creation in 2021. Together, these programs have delivered over $11 million to support more than 410 small restaurants globally. American Express has long championed small businesses, launching Small Business Saturday 15 years ago and founding Shop Small, now a global movement across the UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, New Zealand, and more.
Learn more about how American Express supports small businesses and communities: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/corporate-sustainability/community-impact/
Explore the 2025 grantees: https://downtown.org/backing-international-small-restaurants-grant-program/
2025 American Express BACKING INTERNATIONAL SMALL RESTAURANTS GRANTEES:
- Australia (Melbourne and Sydney)
- Anchovy
- Banh Meats and Co
- Beach Bar @ Carrum
- Butter Sydney
- Hudson's Bakery
- La Coppola
- Little Growling Cafe
- MAIZ Mexican Food
- Milhouse Canteen
- Mokum Cafe
- Porcine
- Saigon Alley
- Tahina
- The Moat
- Tokyo 7 restaurant
- Canada (Montreal and Toronto)
- 11:59 Bar:Cafe
- Archway Verdun
- AWIDELINE Cuisine & Pâtisserie
- Bread and Butter
- De Chou Korean Restaurant
- HANBINGO
- Henry VIII Ale House
- Joanne's Deli
- Kawa Sushi
- La Beignerie
- Le Club Cafe
- Lucile's Caribbean Restaurant & Bar
- Madras Curry
- Mapo Gamjatang
- Nicaroma Café
- Rutba Indian Cuisine
- Sakebarkushi
- Stout Irish Pub
- The Diner's Corner
- Wychwood Pub
- France (Paris/Greater Paris area)
- Doublevie
- Hutong Paris
- Le Petit Vietnamien
- Le Reflet Paris
- L'Officine Paris
- Med'Eat Boétie
- Ô Gourmandises d'Ange
- Pantobaguette
- Restaurant Lac Hong
- Salad'à Coeur
- Japan (Osaka, Tokyo and Fukuoka)
- bekki
- CaD
- Ginza Shinno
- Itsuboshi
- Mushakoji
- Omusubi Stand ANDON
- Seven Grain Bakery
- The Local Pub Takenoyu Annex
- Toden Yamorisha
- Wami Daisuke
- Mexico (Mexico City)
- Artesano De Barrio
- Freims
- Gracias Madre Taqueria Vegana
- Guau Tap
- La Caravana
- La Llorona Cantina
- Lovecraft Café
- Mictlan Antojitos Veganos
- Q' Pedro Pablo
- Somos Voces
- New Zealand (Auckland)
- Annabelles Restaurant
- Brewd Hawt Chicken Co
- Lebanese Grocer
- Pici
- The Lumsden Freehouse
- Spain (Madrid and Barcelona)
- Aklla Tapas Peruanas
- Aló Chino
- Charnela
- D´Street Poke & Bowls
- Granja Petitbo
- Mesaquince
- Sandwich Club Barcelona
- UK (London and Manchester)
- Arnabeet
- Bad Manners
- Barra10
- Billingtons Oldham
- Blue Check
- Bombay Chow
- Ciro's
- Delicious Cafe
- Princelyn Restaurant
- Grounded MCR
- Ida Restaurant
- Pagoda Chinese Cuisine Grill & Sushi Bar
- Faroz Restaurant
- Mellors Cafe Bar
- Memories Cafe Bar
- Pure Coffee, Vernon Park
- Riva Cafe
- The Bridge Central
- The Original Third Eye
- Wimbledon Guild of Social Welfare
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ABOUT American Express
American Express (NYSE: AXP) is a global payments and premium lifestyle brand powered by technology. Our colleagues around the world back our customers with differentiated products, services and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.
Founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York, American Express' brand is built on trust, security, and service, and a rich history of delivering innovation and Membership value for our customers. With over a hundred million merchant locations across our global network, we seek to provide the world's best customer experience every day to a broad range of consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, and large corporations.
For more information about American Express, visit americanexpress.com, americanexpress.com/en-us/newsroom/, and ir.americanexpress.com.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION
The International Downtown Association Foundation is a charitable nonprofit organization working in collaboration with the International Downtown Association (IDA) to provide education, research, and support for creating prosperous city centers, commercial neighborhoods and liveable urban places for all. For more information, please visit downtown.org/foundation and follow IDA Foundation on LinkedIn and X.
American Express
Jessica Defilippo
jessica.n.defilippo@aexp.com
International Downtown Association Foundation
Allison Shashok
allison@downtown.org
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SOURCE American Express
