In Montreal and Toronto, 20 grants of CAD 19,500 each will be offered to these select establishments, according to a press release from American Express Canada.

The goal of this initiative, in partnership with the International Downtown Association (IDA) Foundation, is to help these restaurants “grow, prosper and continue to play a vital role in enriching the cultural fabric” of local communities, said Kerri-Ann Santaguida, Vice President and General Manager of Merchant Services for American Express Canada.

The “Backing International Small restaurants” program has contributed over CAD 200,000 to Toronto’s small restaurants over the past two years.

On a global level, American Express reported that this program “will more than double annual grant funding to USD 955,000, up from USD 435,000 in previous years”.

Since 2022, USD 810, 000 have been paid out to more than 70 restaurants around the world, including London, Mexico City and Tokyo, according to American Express.

For its part, the International Downtown Association (IDA) Foundation said it was delighted to be working with American Express once again to “stimulate the long-term sustainability of culturally important and independent restaurants”. Nine new cities will be added to the program.

American Express developed this program after the success of “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” in the United States.

Restaurant owners interested in this grant are invited to learn more about eligibility online at downtown.org/foundation.

The deadline for grant applications is May 30, 2024.

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