Today, Five Sisters’ Blues Café received $50,000 from the Backing Historic Small Restaurants Grant Program, a program presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express. This funding will support a number of exterior renovations including a marque sign refurbishment, mural, front entry relocation with ADA improvements and exterior lighting upgrades. Five Sisters’ is one of 50 historic small restaurants across the country to receive a grant, and the only one in the state of Florida.
According to Collier Merrill, President of Great Southern Restaurants, “Receiving this grant is an incredible opportunity for Five Sisters as well as the historic Belmont DeVilliers neighborhood. This funding will help to continue the revitalization of this neighborhood all of which helps us to preserve our cultural heritage for generations to come.”
The Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program significantly expanded its reach this year, doubling the number of grantees, including 13 new states, and has increased the total grant funding to $2.5 million, up for $1 million in prior years.
In its fourth year, the program now has reached nearly 125 historic small restaurants in every U.S. state, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. American Express launched the Backing Historic Small Restaurants program in 2021 in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to support historic and culturally significant restaurants during the pandemic. The program has since expanded its in scale and financial support to continue helping independently owned small restaurants serve their local communities for years to come.
“Small restaurants are vital to our communities, and their impact perseveres, as they continue to innovate and make their neighborhoods more vibrant and connected,” said Madge Thomas, Head of Corporate Sustainability at American Express. “This year’s grantees represent the rich traditions and iconic stories of communities across the U.S. I’m so proud that we’re able to help them grow and continue to build their legacy.”
“Over the course of four years, our partnership with American Express has supported more than one hundred small, independent restaurants across the country, each with a distinctive history, representing a wide array of cuisines,” said Carol Quillen. CEO of the National Trust. “Equally important is what these restaurants share. They are beloved gathering places in their neighborhoods. In many cases, they have been run for generations by the same family. Empowering small businesses that hold decades of stories is one powerful way that preservation strengthens local economies as it serves local communities.”
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which administers the Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant program, selected this year’s grantees from a group of restaurants that operate in historic buildings or neighborhoods and provide cultural significance to their communities through their history, cuisine, and locations. Many of the 2024 grant recipients include establishments that are family owned or have been operating for generations.
To see the full list and learn more about this year’s Backing Historic Small Restaurants grantees, please visit https://savingplaces.org/historicrestaurants.
ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS
American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, X.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.
In addition to funds provided through the Backing Historic Small Restaurants program, American Express has provided more than $30 million to preserve historic places in the U.S. through its partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation since 1993.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic sites, tell the full American story, build stronger communities, and invest in preservation’s future. SavingPlaces.org | @savingplaces
ABOUT FIVE SISTERS’ BLUES CAFÉ
Five Sisters Blues Cafe, located at 421 West Belmont on the corner of Belmont and DeVilliers, is a restaurant built on some of Pensacola’s deepest history right in the heart of historic downtown Pensacola. The reconstruction of the old Gussie’s Record Shop heralds the reawakening of the old Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood. Featuring Southern cuisine, Five Sisters’ offers daily blackboard and house specialties and live blues music Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Monday – Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Friday – Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., and 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, please call 850-912-4856 or visit our website, www.fivesistersbluescafe.com.