NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A cafe and store located in a 1879 adobe building in southwest New Mexico was awarded a $50,000 grant on Monday.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, and American Express selected the Hillsboro General Store Cafe in Hillsboro as a part of the “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” program, which awards 50 restaurants across the United States and its territories with $50,000 each.
PNM seeks state regulator’s approval of $11.5B Blackstone acquisition
According to the New Mexico Tourism Department, the Hillsboro General Store Cafe has served many purposes over the years in Sierra County, including being used as a bank, telegraph office, stage stop, and a storeroom for the adjacent Miller Drug Store.
In 1914, the main building was destroyed in a flood, and the business moved into the adjacent building, where it continues today. The business serves up New Mexican food, snacks, and local books, crafts, and more, the New Mexico Tourism Department’s website states.
The Hillsboro General Store Cafe will be able to use the grant money to make exterior public-facing improvements to their historic buildings, focusing on elements such as murals, awnings, lighting, signage upgrades, painting or cleaning of facades, or the creation of outdoor seating areas, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Up to $10,000 of each grant may also be used for unrestricted uses such as general operating expenses.
In addition to the grant, American Express-owned Resy is offering each of the historic restaurants complimentary use of Resy OS, its restaurant management software, for one year.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit organization. For more on the 2025 Backing Historic Small Restaurants grantees, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments