In a powerful show of support for businesses, American Express is encouraging small restaurant and café owners in Greater Sydney and Greater Melbourne to apply for its Backing International Small Restaurants program.
Now in its fourth year in Australia, the Amex program is offering 15 grants valued at $23,000 AUD ($15,000 USD) to small restaurant owners in the two Australian cities, and for the first time, 5 grants worth $25,000 NZD to eligible restaurants in the New Zealand city of Auckland.
Globally this year, the American Express Backing International Small Restaurants program is delivering $1.45 million USD in funding to 100 restaurants so they can make critical improvements, like enhancing their digital capabilities, refreshing dining spaces, and improving kitchen operations. Since 2022 in Australia, this Amex program has delivered $522,500 AUD in financial support.
Grantees from past years say the funding helped them make much needed infrastructure changes.
Sue and Dale Messina from Bojak Brewing, a 75-seater brewery in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong were one of the 13 grant recipients in Australia in 2024: “The American Express grant was great because it helped us afford improvements that we couldn’t have made otherwise. We installed permanent gas heaters in the outdoor beer garden, making it a perfect year-round spot for families and beer lovers alike. The grant also enabled us to invest in new kitchen flooring and better equipment like a new density meter to provide more precise measurements and streamline the brewing process, as well as a carton box-taper to improve efficiency when packaging beer,” Sue Messina said.
American Express Australia and New Zealand Vice President of Global Merchant Network Services Robert Tedesco said: “Independent restaurants are often at the heart of our villages and communities - bringing people together, shaping local culture, and fueling the economy. We’re proud to expand this program even further for its fourth year in 2025, now reaching Auckland for the first time, alongside Sydney and Melbourne. These cities are home to some of the most dynamic and diverse dining scenes in the world, driven by passionate chefs, restaurateurs, and family-run businesses. These grants will help them grow, innovate, and continue serving their communities.”
This is more than a grant - it’s an opportunity to boost local economies and spotlight some of the best, independently run restaurants across the world.
Applications for the Backing International Small Restaurants program are now open and close on July 1.
You can find the press release attached with still images and more quotes. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to arrange interviews.
Contact details:
Carla Franze
