The Heartwarming Tradition Of Paying It Forward For Coffee In Naples

Coffee is often associated with people coming together, whether it's friends connecting for a catch up, a business meeting, or a gathering to celebrate a birthday. But nowhere is coffee more of a bonding element than in Naples, Italy. Coffee is believed to have made its way to South Italy sometime in the 1600s, with some schools of thought placing it there closer to the 1450s. Coffee grew to become a time-honored tradition in the country — a ritual even — and Italian coffee-making has had a long-lasting influence on coffeehouses in America.

But it was during World War II that a particularly special coffee tradition started in the regional capital of Campania, Naples: the tradition of caffé sospeso. The history behind this concept is a beautiful one of uniting people, showing social solidarity, and, when one is financially able to do so, helping others who are less fortunate. "Caffé sospeso" can be translated as meaning a "suspended" or "pending" coffee. 

In essence, it is paying for two coffees and being served one, leaving the other suspended for someone who may not be able to afford a coffee to enjoy at a later stage. A host of festivals that took place in Italy in 2010 was a huge driver of awareness of the caffé sospeso concept — and was incidentally the year that Caffé Sospeso Day was created, taking place annually on December 10.

The caffé sospeso concept was thought to have been born in 1860 in one of the first coffee houses to be established in Naples, Cafe Gambrinus. Working-class patrons who had experienced good fortune or good luck would visit this Café of the Seven Doors (known as such for its many entrances) and pay for two coffees, one for themselves and a second for someone in need. Other sources place the origin of caffé sospeso during World War II, when the country was destitute and struggling just to put a meal on the table. Such wartime foods and practices were common in the 1940s and '50s.

The tradition goes far deeper than just buying a coffee for a stranger, though. Local Italians see caffé sospeso as showing social unity by performing a simple act of kindness toward others, and it is respected and followed by the whole city of Naples. This deeply profound belief in human compassion shot sprouts out into the rest of Italy, and further afield to many countries and businesses across the world. Starbucks in Britain, for example, created a charity drive based on the caffé sospeso concept in 2013, where it donated the cash value of each suspended coffee to the Oasis charity. 

The beautiful tradition has also spread to other countries, where coffee shops are taking up the "pay it forward" movement. To be a part of this charitable Italian-born tradition, just find a coffee spot that might have receipts pasted on the window or a big container labeled "caffé sospeso" and order "un caffé sospeso," keeping this Italian coffee-ordering etiquette tip in mind. Then enjoy a good coffee, and step out into your day knowing that you're leaving a little bit of kindness behind.