For the last five years, an old Italian custom has been spreading throughout the world and winning more and more supporters: the “caffè sospeso,” or “suspended coffee,” in English.

“Two coffees, please. One for me, the other suspended.” This is how participants in this project order a coffee at the bar. All over the world, volunteers are supporting this idea, investing their time in the creation of websites with information and lists of the premises that adhere to the initiative, while releasing interviews to publicize the “suspended coffee” project.

How does it work? The barista who receives the order charges for two (or more) coffees, serves one to the customer and notes the rest as an offer for those in need. Anyone who cannot afford a coffee can go into a bar, ask if there is a “suspended coffee” and receive one for free.

This custom originated in Naples, the city of coffee par excellence, and dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. In an era of economic hardship, anyone who could afford it started the habit of ordering a coffee, while paying for two, thus leaving a coffee “suspended” and already paid for, for those who did not have the means to buy one themselves.

“Would you like a coffee, sir?” the barista would ask. It meant that there was a chance to get a free coffee. Anonymity helped make things easier, both for the donor and the beneficiary. Even today, the donor does not know who his offer will go to, and the one who receives the suspended coffee does not know who it was offered by. It’s best for everyone: the donor who feels uplifted for sharing a bit of his happiness and passing it on to the person who receives the coffee, who in turn, feels less excluded despite their economic difficulties. The bar that takes part in the suspended coffee project proves its awareness of social issues, which is very popular with today’s customers. In short, with the suspended coffee, everyone’s a winner.

The bars that take part in this project generally announce it to their customers through visible signs. To find out which bars have joined the project, enquire online, or visit the www.retedelcaffesospeso.com website. Alternatively, you can let the manager of your favourite bar know about the initiative. Perhaps they’re still not aware of the “suspended coffee” custom and the extraordinary opportunity it offers for doing good, while drinking coffee.