Resy and American Express Campaign Introduces the Next Generation of Diners to Influential Local Restaurants

NEW YORK, NY, August 1, 2023: This August American Express and Resy will help introduce a new generation of diners to influential local restaurants. American Express and Shop Small® Present: The Resy Tastemakers – small restaurants making big impact is a month-long campaign to help Gen Z and Millennial diners discover and try new-to-them local restaurants and to support small businesses where they live. It includes an offer for eligible American Express® Card Members* with 200 participating Resy restaurants, special dining events in six cities, and tools to help restaurants enhance their social media marketing.

While summer dining is showing strong numbers¹, August can be an inconsistent month for restaurants². In a survey conducted earlier this year, 67% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said they want to find neighborhood restaurants where they can become regulars³. To encourage people to dine out at local restaurants, from August 1 through August 31st, 2023, eligible American Express Card Members who enroll their Card and spend $60 or more can earn $15 back as a statement credit after dining at select Resy restaurants, up to two times*. Starting August 9th, American Express and Resy will host events at 25 stand-out neighborhood restaurants in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington D.C. and will pick up the check, up to $99 a person*.

Participating restaurants include places like Txikito in New York City, a Basque restaurant first opened in 2008 by a husband-and-wife team that reinvented post-pandemic and landed on the New York Times’ list of 100 Best Restaurants in New York City; Krüs Kitchen in Miami’s Coconut Grove where chef Sebastián Vargas nods to his upbringing in Colombia and New Delhi, India and has created a menu around open fire cooking, seasonal vegetables, regional seafood, and homemade pastas inspired by top restaurants where he has cooked (Eleven Madison Park, Osteria Francescana, Faviken); and Mourad in San Francisco, where Moroccan-born Mourad Lahlou blends Moroccan flavors with California produce.

“Big ideas come from small restaurants, and throughout August we’ll help a new generation of diners discover the places that influence the way we eat and drink,” said Pablo Rivero, CEO of Resy and Vice President of Dining for American Express. “Whether you become a regular or just try somewhere new, supporting local restaurants means ensuring these small businesses will be part of the community for a long time to come.”

Reservations for the events, where American Express and Resy will cover the check up to $99 per person (terms apply), will drop on Mondays at 10:00 a.m. local time. Visit resy.com/shopsmall for full details and terms. The event lineup features:

• Wednesday, August 9: Joseph Leonard (NYC), Harold & Belle’s (LA), Mourad (SF), Mi Tocaya (CHI), Annabelle (DC), Tropezón (MIA)
• Wednesday, August 16: & Sons Ham Bar (NYC), Kismet (LA), Kin Khao (SF), TenGoku Aburiya (CHI), Ellē (DC), Krüs Kitchen (MIA)
• Wednesday, August 23: Txikito (NYC), Great White – Venice (LA), Outerlands (SF), Lula Cafe (CHI), Revelers Hour (DC), Lion & the Rambler (MIA), Semilla (MIA)
• Wednesday, August 30: Tuome (NYC), Madre – Torrance (LA), Brenda’s French Soul Food (SF), Cherry Circle Room  (CHI), St. Vincent Wine (DC), Fox’s Lounge (MIA)

In recent surveys 49% of small business owners said their greatest concern this summer is attracting new customers⁴ and 77% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents are likely to search on social media for restaurant recommendations before traveling or while traveling⁵.

In June American Express unveiled the second iteration of the Shop Small Accelerator, a three-part video series that helps small business owners improve their social media skills to reach the next generation of consumers. Resy data shows that after a user makes a second reservation on the platform they start making reservations with more frequency⁶.

Throughout the month, Resy.com will feature restaurants that have made an impact on their communities. Read their stories and see the full list of participating restaurants at resy.com/shopsmall.

This August program builds on the ongoing support American Express provides small businesses year-round. And, for the third year in a row, American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, also awarded 25 small restaurants each a $40,000 grant as part of the “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” grant program that helps support the growth of small and independent restaurants. Resy also offered complimentary use of Resy OS for one year to each recipient.