Delhi’s latte-me-pay culture brewing – The Economic Times

In Delhi‘s coffee shops, a trend has emerged that flirts with the boundaries of social etiquette. More and more Delhiites are engaging in a ‘pay-it-forward‘ coffee culture where a customer pays for the person behind him or her in line, while his or her bill has probably been paid by the earlier customer. Call it being brewtherly. It’s a chain reaction of caffeinated kindness, where each latte fuels the next act of generosity.

First, the economics. Coffee shops are now the battlegrounds for covert acts of fiscal heroism. Forget Robin Hood. We’ve now got Mocha Hood. So, does the barista charge the next customer? Or do they secretly deduct the cost from the shop’s profits, like a caffeinated Robin Hood tax? The suspense is palpable. Second, the psychology. Paying for someone else’s coffee is akin to a social trust fall. Will they appreciate it? Or will they scoff, thinking, ‘I didn’t ask for this charity, Mister!’? It’s a delicate balance, not unlike choosing between a single-origin Ethiopian or a Colombian blend. Finally, there’s the existential crisis. As the queue grows, so does the pressure. Suddenly, you’re not just buying a flat white, but you’re also making a character statement. Will you be the hero who kick-starts the chain? Or the villain who breaks it? The stakes are higher than the altitude at which those coffee beans were grown.