Naples’ pending coffee – ‘o cafè suspiso – is an old tradition that has seen a sort of revival during recent years. The pending coffee is a cup of coffee paid for in advance to the benefit of a stranger.
When the client in the bar orders a suspended coffee, they are in fact paying for two cups of coffee: one for themselves, and the other one for a person who might be in need and who walking in the bar will have to ask if there is a suspended coffee for them. Should the pending coffee be available, then they will be able to order and drink the coffee paid for in advance by another customer.
