Backing Historic Small Restaurants Grant Program
National Trust for Historic Preservation / American Express
$50,000
Funding historic neighborhood restaurants
An annual grant program from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express supporting small, independently owned restaurants located in historic or older buildings or neighborhoods that contribute to the history and identity of their community. Each cycle awards $50,000 to 50 restaurants across the United States. The bulk of the grant ($40,000) is directed to physical/exterior improvements (signage, awnings, murals, facade work, outdoor seating), with up to $10,000 available for general operating or other business expenses. Through 2025 the program had awarded over $8 million to roughly 180 restaurants across all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $50,000 – $50,000
- Realistic amount
- Awardees receive the full $50,000, disbursed in two parts: $40,000 up front toward approved …
- Deadline
- Annual — application window opens in spring (the 2025 fifth-year cycle opened May 16, 2025 with a June 2, 2025 deadline; selections announced July 2025).
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- milestone
Who qualifies
- A small, independently owned restaurant (fewer than 100 employees) recognized as a business — not a contractor or self-employed individual
- Located in a historic or older building or in a historic neighborhood
- Contributes to the history and/or identity of its surrounding community, with a compelling historical narrative or cultural significance tied to cuisine and community
- Not part of a national franchise
- If leasing, must obtain building-owner consent (consent form required)
- Located in the United States (program has reached all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico)
- A preservation partner may apply in collaboration with a restaurant
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Exterior/physical improvements: signage, awnings, murals, facade restoration
- Outdoor seating and patio improvements
- Accessibility upgrades to the building exterior
- Website updates supporting operations
- General operating expenses or other business-related expenses (up to $10,000)
- Preservation partner support (up to $10,000 where applicable)
Ineligible expenses
- Work completed before the grant is awarded
- Activities for national-franchise restaurants
- Work not pre-approved by National Trust staff
How to apply
-
1
Confirm eligibility and historic significance
Verify the restaurant is independently owned, has fewer than 100 employees, is not a national franchise, and sits in a historic/older building or neighborhood. Prepare the story of the restaurant's cultural and historical significance — this narrative is central to selection.
~2 hrs
-
2
Gather required documents
Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing from your state Secretary of State and, if you lease your space, a signed building-owner consent form authorizing exterior work.
~2 hrs
-
3
Scope your exterior improvement project
Define at least $40,000 of eligible exterior/physical improvements (signage, awnings, murals, facade restoration, outdoor seating, accessibility). Previously completed work is ineligible. Identify how you would use the up-to-$10,000 unrestricted portion.
~4 hrs
-
4
Submit the Submittable application during the open window
Complete the owner application via the program's Submittable portal during the spring window. The application covers business details, the historic/cultural narrative, and the proposed scope of work. A separate public nomination form exists for community members to nominate a restaurant.
~4 hrs
-
5
Selection, agreement, and project completion
Recipients are announced in summer. Selected restaurants work with National Trust staff for pre-approval of all work, receive $40,000 to begin, complete the approved scope by the program deadline, and receive the final $10,000 on 100% completion.
~3 hrs
The historical/cultural narrative carries the application more than the renovation budget — restaurants with a documented multi-generational or community-defining story consistently win. Line up your building-owner consent form early if you lease; missing it is a common disqualifier, and the application window is short (about two to three weeks).
Deadline & timing
The program has run annually since 2021, typically opening applications in late spring with a roughly two-to-three-week window and announcing recipients that summer. Funded projects must be completed by a set date (the 2025 cycle required exterior work completed by January 31, 2026). Watch savingplaces.org/historicrestaurants and the American Express partnership page for each year's open call.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.