Credit card perks are constantly evolving.
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For those who like to jet-set, the focus is usually on travel deals. How many points can cardholders earn when they spend abroad? And what can they use those points for during their next vacation? The focus is on value and range of use.
But some credit cards cater to tourists in more roundabout ways.
American Express, for example, just released a list of 50 restaurants that will be added to its Backing Historic Small Restaurants program, which it created in 2020 alongside the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Each restaurant gets $50,000 in grant money to continue operations.
Never heard of the program or its ever-growing list of small, historic restaurants? Don’t worry—it’s for everyone. Though created by American Express, its cardholders don’t have first dibs on reservations or discounts on the final bill. Anyone can explore its list of small, historic restaurants.
And that’s worth exploring for any traveler because supporting local establishments is quickly becoming one of the most important factors in ethical tourism.
Like the Shop Small initiative that American Express launched over a decade ago, it’s all about empowering cardholders to spend their hard-earned money on small businesses. And, via its grant money, it provides these establishments with much-needed funding.
American Express: Backing Historic Small Restaurants
In 2020, American Express teamed up with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which was created by Congress in the late 1940s. Specifically, the program is part of the Trust’s ‘Saving Places’ campaign.
As mentioned above, the goal is to empower cardholders to spend at specific locations that showcase culture, tradition, and—of course—great eats.
So, if you want to eat ethically while also soaking up some of the coolest and most historic local culture on your next trip, you now have 50 new restaurants to check out across the United States. Coupled with previous Backing Historic Small Restaurants grants, American Express has helped fund 180 restaurants around the US, including Puerto Rico.
You can check out this full list and map of small historic restaurants selected to be part of the program from 2021 to present. If you’re a foody who’s always looking for the hidden gem restaurants, I highly recommend perusing the list by searching your destination. There are picks like Route 66 side-of-the-road restaurants to local pizza pubs in rural Kentucky.
