ATLANTA — Some of Atlanta’s oldest and most beloved businesses are receiving renewed support. The Atlanta Local Legacy Program is designed to honor and assist local merchants that have been in operation for at least 30 years within the city limits.

One of the businesses already benefiting from the program is the iconic Busy Bee Café, which has been serving Atlanta for nearly 80 years. Owner Tracy Gates praised the initiative, calling it “an awesome opportunity to keep us in business.”

More than 500 businesses throughout Atlanta are expected to qualify for the program, which offers grants for business improvements, including equipment, technology upgrades, and expansion needs. In addition to financial assistance, eligible businesses will be featured in an online registry and a mobile app that make them easier for customers to discover; especially during major events in the city.

“It puts us in front of all the major events in Atlanta, things where we would normally be overlooked,” Gates said. “The most exciting part about it to me was the recognition that these businesses exist in Atlanta.”

Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development authority, notes that these legacy businesses collectively employ more than 11,000 people and are considered essential to the city’s heritage and identity.

The Atlanta Local Legacy Program offers both recognition and financial support to help long-running local businesses to continue to serve their communities.

WSB’s Ashley Simmons contributed to this story