Cafe Sospesso: The coffee of Solidarity

A coffee made of solidarity

An outing for a coffee, with friends or even alone, is perhaps the simplest way out of grief and stress. But what happens when someone is deprived of this opportunity because of financial difficulties?

Then, it's time for coffee to show its human face, solidarity, offering and meaning for the neighbor. It is time to remember how coffee unites people around the world. It's time for "suspended coffee"!

What is "suspended coffee"?

During the recent economic crisis, many people did not even have access to basic necessities. Among the first cuts made by anyone who has a problem with survival, of course, is their fun - which includes coffee.

But coffee is much more than a simple drink. It is an element of sociability, an important aspect of everyday life, a sign of companionship and human relationships. Thus, an initiative was created that aims not to deprive anyone of his simple, everyday coffee.

"suspended coffee" is a prepaid coffee that can be enjoyed by anyone who is deprived of this opportunity. As patrons of a cafe, we can prepay for a coffee, so that a fellow citizen in need can enjoy it, without paying a fee. Essentially, through this initiative, we get a coffee from an unknown person, but he really needs our treat.

How did the "suspended coffee" start?

The initiative of "suspended coffee" started from a city with extremely rich coffee culture, Naples, and in fact in the espresso bars of the working-class neighborhoods of the southeastern city. After all, the first name of "suspended coffee" is "Caffe sospeso", a phrase that means exactly the same in Italian.

Various stories have been told about the origin of this beautiful habit. Many say that some 100 years ago, some customers spontaneously began to pay for the coffee of unemployed patrons during the Christmas period, while the tradition was slowly abandoned after the war due to economic prosperity. However, the "custom" continued to be maintained: many fans of the local team in Naples used to buy "caffe sospeso" for years after each victory of the legendary team.



How did the "suspended coffee" spread?

The modern version of Caffe Sospeso was started again by the working class Naples, due to the conditions created by the global recession that began in 2008. Due to the economic crisis, which spread worldwide and of course hit the Italian South, several people got to the point of being deprived even their coffee - something unthinkable for a city with such a strong coffee culture as Naples. In this context, some remembered Caffee Sospeso and began to ask not their friends, but strangers, and so the "suspended coffee" was reborn.

From Naples, the initiative quickly spread around the world, from Australia and Russia, to Bulgaria and Greece. Currently, cafes and coffee shops in more than 17 countries and 112 cities continue to rely on their customers' solidarity to offer "waiting coffees."

What is happening in Greece?

In our country, the street magazine "Schedia", which provides a decent income for its homeless sellers, has brought the initiative "a coffee is waiting for you" for seven years. The cafes that support the relevant traffic have a relevant sticker and have exceeded 80 in Greece and Cyprus. Of course, coffee is not just for the "Designers" but for everyone who really needs it. Small, local businesses are mainly involved in the Branch Network, in order to stimulate several small businesses in the same way.

The "suspended coffees" are usually offered at a discount compared to their normal price, while a table informs those interested in how many "suspended coffees" are available at that time. The stores that participate in the Network are listed in detail here.



We tend to say that what matters is "the coffee we deserve." Well, if there's one coffee that's really worth it, it's the "suspended coffee"