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(Photo: Business Wire)

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–American Express (NYSE: AXP) and Resy today launched a national campaign with a simple message: Order In, Help Out. As part of the Order In, Help Out campaign American Express and Resy are rallying consumers across social media to make #TakeoutTuesday a weekly occurrence. In addition, to help encourage Card Members to order out, American Express is introducing new dining offers on many of its cards.

With more than half of restaurant owners in the U.S. seriously considering closing for good because of the pandemic, American Express and Resy are working to raise awareness about the positive impact of ordering takeout. According to the American Express Independent Restaurant Insight Study, 89% of small, independent restaurant owners say they depend on takeout orders to stay afloat. The study also estimated that the simple act of ordering takeout can generate, on average, more than $700 million in daily sales for the industry¹.

“We all miss our favorite local restaurants – the places where we’ve shared meals with family, celebrated special occasions with friends and relied on for late night cravings. As those experiences have been put on hold, the survival of our favorite places are in jeopardy,” said Elizabeth Rutledge, Chief Marketing Officer, American Express. “With Order In, Help Out, we hope to inspire people to help keep our local restaurants in business, especially during the winter months, one of the slowest and toughest times of the year.”

“It’s not just dinner,” said Karen Akunowicz, chef and owner of Fox & The Knife in Boston. “When customers order takeout from an independent restaurant, they are truly helping to keep the doors open and lights on, keeping folks employed and keeping their community and the businesses that make it unique thriving. The impact is far greater than a meal, and they have the ability to deeply affect the lives of those around them.”

#TAKEOUTTUESDAY

By ordering takeout on Tuesdays, one of the slowest days of the week for restaurants, consumers can help make a difference by sharing their takeout orders from local restaurants in their community. The companies created a hub of takeout inspiration at Resy.com/Takeout, where people can find a collection of stories and guides to help inspire their dining decisions. Consumers can also learn about independent restaurants near them on the hub or discover American Express accepting restaurants by visiting the Shop Small Map. Any restaurant can participate in the campaign by tapping into Resy and American Express’ downloadable Takeout Toolkits, which include assets like printable posters, social stickers and more at AmericanExpress.com/ShopSmall and Resyos.com/takeout. Resy toolkit will be available starting February 17, 2021.

“Being able to expand into takeout and delivery has helped our business immensely during the pandemic,” said Kim Hoang, Owner of Di An Di in Brooklyn, New York. “Our takeout business has allowed us to grow our customer base and feed even more people during this difficult time. Our neighbors and regulars who used to dine in with us have continued to support us through takeout orders and we are so grateful for them.”

NEW DINING OFFERS FOR CARD MEMBERS

Now through December 31, 2021, eligible² Delta SkyMiles®, Hilton Honors® and Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express Card Members can enroll in an offer to earn up to $220 in statement credits³ at U.S. restaurants, after they dine in or take out. To learn more and for complete offer terms, visit here. Additionally, U.S. Green Card Members are already able to earn 3X Membership Rewards points and U.S. Gold Card Members can earn 4X points on restaurants including takeout and delivery. Terms apply.

SUPPORTING RESTAURANTS YEAR ROUND

Order In, Help Out is an extension of American Express’ Shop Small effort, a global movement to spotlight and support small businesses. Recognizing the impacts of COVID-19 on independent restaurants across the country, American Express has made several commitments to support restaurants since the beginning of the pandemic, including COVID-safe, heated outdoor experiences like The Yurt Villages for American Express Card Members, and American Express Winter Patios in partnership with Major Food Group. To aid the restaurant industry, Resy is providing 100% relief on all Resy fees and billing through June 30, 2021 and was the first reservation platform to introduce fee relief, in early March 2020.

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, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.

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ABOUT SHOP SMALL

Shop Small is an international movement to support small, independent businesses and call attention to the valuable and distinct contributions they make to their communities and the economy. Shop Small celebrates small businesses ranging from retail stores and restaurants to fitness studios and salons, and everything in between. The Shop Small movement was spurred by the widespread participation in Small Business Saturday, a day founded in 2010 by American Express in the U.S. This national holiday shopping tradition is dedicated to celebrating small businesses and driving more customers through their doors on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Learn more and connect with us on ShopSmall.com, instagram.com/shopsmall, facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday.

ABOUT RESY

Resy powers the world’s best restaurants, using technology to imagine the future of hospitality. Resy has revolutionized, elevated and enhanced dining experiences worldwide with its reservation management software and dynamic suite of tools for restaurants (waitlist and table management, web and app booking, ticketing, POS integration). In August 2019 Resy joined the American Express family and together they help restaurants’ businesses thrive. Resy also connects diners to the best restaurants in their cities and around the world through the Resy app and Resy.com. Diners get access to tables, events, curated content, and insider access to the amazing world of restaurants.

AMERICAN EXPRESS INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT INSIGHT STUDY METHODOLOGY

The American Express Independent Restaurant Insight Study was conducted by Teneo on behalf of American Express. Consumer data is based on a survey of 1,004 Americans who visited a restaurant 2+ times a month before the COVID-19 pandemic. The anonymous survey was conducted online January 11-16, 2021. Data was weighted to reflect the demographic composition of the 18+ population of the U.S. based upon gender, age, education, race and region. Restaurant owner data is based on an online study conducted among a sample of 500 respondents who are owners/managers/directors/CEO/etc. of an independently owned restaurant with fewer than 50 employees across all locations. The anonymous survey was conducted online January 8-18, 2021.

Location: U.S.