American Express and the International Downtown Association Foundation (IDA) have launched this year’s Backing International Small Restaurants grants programme.
Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the programme will award more than NZD 2.6 million to over 100 independent restaurants across nine countries.
In New Zealand, eligible independent restaurants in the Auckland region can apply for one of five grants of NZD 25,000 each to help their businesses grow, recover and support their local communities.
The programme was launched in partnership with Mainstreet Australia, which will administer the programme locally.
“Independent restaurants are an important part of local communities. They’re places where people come together, celebrate and connect, while also creating jobs and contributing to vibrant local economies,” said Robert Tedesco, Vice President of Global Merchant Network Services, American Express Australia and New Zealand.
“At American Express, supporting small businesses is something we care deeply about. Through this programme, we’re proud to help restaurant owners invest in their future, strengthen their businesses and create lasting impact for the communities they serve.”
The Backing International Small Restaurants grants programme supports small, independent restaurants as they grow, recover and support their local communities, including investments that strengthen their operations and long-term resilience.
Since 2022, Backing International Small Restaurants has grown from five cities in five countries to 15 cities across nine countries, including the UK, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Spain, France and, for the first time this year, Italy.
Over the past four years, the Backing International Small Restaurants grants programme has provided more than NZD 5.5 million in grants to more than 230 restaurants. Funding has helped restaurant owners make critical improvements, from enhancing digital capabilities and refreshing dining spaces to modernising kitchen operations. These upgrades can help create a lasting impact that extends beyond their businesses to the communities they serve.
“Hospitality can be incredibly challenging for small independent operators, so having that support at such an important time meant a lot to us. More than anything, the grant felt like a genuine vote of confidence in what we were building. It gave our small, family-owned business the breathing room to create a dedicated production kitchen, just as Karanga-a-Hape Station opened and demand in the area took off,” said Elie Assaf, Lebanese Grocer, 2025 Auckland grant recipient.
“We can now serve more customers, grow our catering and wholesale business, and begin developing a Lebanese Grocer retail range for supermarkets. It has helped us build stronger foundations and turn plans we’ve held for years into something real.”
Lebanese Grocer
Another Auckland 2025 grantee, Kaz Suzuki, owner of PICI pasta and wine bar, said that when you open a restaurant, you bring a dream to life, but the dreaming doesn’t stop there.
“At PICI, we had plans to improve our kitchen and layout, add air conditioning to the dining area and give the restaurant some much-needed care,” said Suzuki.
“The grant came at the right time, giving us the chance to make those plans a reality. To any restaurant owner considering applying, I would say: go for it. For a small business like ours, NZD 25,000 was transformative.”
The experiences of Backing International Small Restaurants grantees reflect the programme’s broader impact on independent restaurants and their communities.
“As we celebrate five years of Backing International Small Restaurants, we’re proud of the programme’s growth and impact on independent restaurants around the world,” said David Downey, Executive Director, IDA Foundation.
“We continue to be inspired by our grantees, whose passion and leadership help make neighbourhoods vibrant and connected. With the ongoing support of American Express, we’re helping strengthen local economies and communities across the globe.”
Independent restaurant owners can learn more about the programme and submit their applications through the 17th of November 2026 here.
