Backing International Small Restaurants Grant Program
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NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- 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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