NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–American Express and the International Downtown Association Foundation (IDA) today launched this year’s Backing International Small Restaurants grants program, open for applications through November 16, 2026. Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the program plans to award more than $1.5 million to support over 100 independent restaurants across nine countries and expand to Italy for the first time. The program supports small, independent restaurants as they grow, recove