Council endorses coffee charity

Sydney’s Marrickville Council is asking charity-conscious retailers in the city’s inner west to sign up to a coffee initiative inspired by Italian cafes.

Cafes located in many of Sydney’s latte set suburbs, such as Newtown, Enmore, and Petersham, are being called upon to sign up to The Suspended Coffee Initiative.

“Caffe sospeso” – literally translating to suspended coffee – is a tradition born in the cafes of southern Italy, where a little morning hit of espresso is seen as somewhat of a daily necessity.

The idea works by encouraging better-off patrons to pay in advance for an extra cup or two, which can then be consumed by a coffee-drinker-in-need later in the day.

Beejay’s, a weekend brunch haunt in Sydney’s industrial Marrickville, has already signed up to the initiative, which was formally and unanimously endorsed by the council last week.

The council is now approaching charity-minded cafes in its local government area, with participating retailers asked to use their individual discretion in allocating coffees to the needy.

Similar schemes have already been introduced in Brisbane and Melbourne, with another cafe in Sydney, Page’s, also already operating a similar concept.

Website and local community group, Suspended Coffee, is one notable name driving the trend locally, with it using its website and Facebook page to list participating retailers nationally.

A council representative told Inside Retail that it would be targeting coffee outlets primarily, however, that the initiative has potential to be rolled out for meals as well.

Channel 10, which has reported on the suspended coffee trend, links local interest in the concept to a photo of a homeless person drinking coffee shared widely on social media over Easter.

You have 7 articles remaining. Unlock 15 free articles a month, it’s free.