American Express (AMEX) has selected 20 independent restaurants across Australia and New Zealand to receive grants totalling US$300,000 through its Backing International Small Restaurants program.
Each recipient will receive US$15,000 (approximately AU$23,000 or NZ$25,000) to fund critical business improvements. The grants are designed to support long-term growth through upgrades to dining spaces, digital tools, and kitchen operations.
Fifteen restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney, and five in Auckland, were selected for their positive impact on local communities. The awards are part of a larger global initiative distributing more than US$1.4 million to 97 small, independently owned restaurants across 14 cities in eight countries, including the UK, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Spain, and France.
Supporting community anchors
“These grants are all about empowering small restaurants to thrive, enrich the dining culture we all love and support their local communities,” said Robert Tedesco, Vice President of Global Merchant Network Services for American Express Australia and New Zealand. “At Amex, we’re passionate about backing small businesses because when they succeed, neighbourhoods flourish.”
This marks the program’s fourth year in Australia, bringing total support to AU$867,500 for Australian restaurants. New Zealand restaurants received grants for the first time this year, totalling NZ$125,000.
Among the Australian recipients is Porcine, a 35-seat French bistro in Sydney co-owned by chefs Nik Hill, Matt Fitzgerald, and Harry Levy. The restaurant plans to use its grant to renovate its weather-damaged courtyard, upgrade ageing facilities, including 30-year-old kitchen flooring, and improve guest bathrooms.
“As a small independent team, we don’t have deep pockets to fall back on,” Hill said. “This grant gives us the chance to finally do some of those things… This kind of support helps us make a dramatic improvement in a short time.”
In Auckland, The Lebanese Grocer will use its NZ$25,000 grant to build a commercial kitchen and develop a new line of house-made grocery products based on family recipes. Chef and owner Elie Assaf said the funding comes at a crucial stage of growth for the family-run business.
Growing global initiative
The program operates in partnership with the International Downtown Association Foundation and is supported by Mainstreet Australia.
It complements American Express’s Backing Historic Small Restaurants program in the United States, which has provided more than US$8 million to 180 restaurants since 2021. Combined, these initiatives have delivered more than US$11 million to support more than 410 small restaurants globally.
Other Australian recipients include Anchovy, Beach Bar @ Carrum, and Tahina in Melbourne, plus Banh Meats and Co, Butter Sydney, and MAIZ Mexican Food in Sydney.
New Zealand recipients also include Annabelles Restaurant, Brewd Hawt Chicken Co, Pici, and The Lumsden Freehouse, all in Auckland.
