A suspended meal or pending meal is a meal which people pay for in advance, to be provided to those that request it later. The extra meal that they purchase is suspended; that is, the restaurant will mark down the sum of money and ‘suspend’ the additional meal for the poor. Suspended meals today range from a cup of coffee to a meal set.

In Vietnam, the concept of suspended meals is known as "cơm treo" (hung-up meal). This practice is inspired by the "cà phê treo" (suspended coffee) model that originated in Italy, where customers pay in advance for a coffee to be given to someone in need. Similarly, "cơm treo" allows customers at eateries, especially popular rice shops known as "cơm bình dân" and "cơm tấm" restaurants, to pay for an extra meal which is then offered to homeless individuals, elderly people living alone, or children without guardians.

These eateries, which serve affordable and nutritious meals including rice, various meats, fish, and vegetables, act as community hubs where people can quietly support others by asking, "Do you take cơm treo today?" ("Hôm nay quán có nhận cơm treo không?"). Upon payment, the extra meal is noted by the shop and provided to a person in need who visits later. This anonymous act of kindness ensures that the giver and receiver do not meet, maintaining the dignity of the receiver.

In addition to "cơm treo," the practice of "cà phê treo" continues to be popular in several regions, such as Đồng Tháp Province. Here, cafes invite patrons to pay for extra beverages that are then distributed to those in need, including street vendors and low-income workers.

In Turkey, a tradition going back centuries called askıda ekmek, meaning "bread on a hanger” or “suspended bread" involves paying for two bread and taking one while the other is hung for someone else later.

The term in English originates from a tradition that started in Italy, called pending coffee, or in Italian, caffè sospeso. Customers would pay for their own coffee and when they wanted to, could pay for an extra ‘suspended coffee’ or a 'suspended meal' which was meant for the less fortunate. Thus, a person could walk into the cafe and ask if there was a suspended coffee that they could drink. The trend started in cafes of Naples, where people who had experienced good luck or people of middle class would pay for an extra cup of coffee. Then, the poor would come by later and ask if there was any sospeso that could be given for free to them. Such trend has been adopted by other cafes and restaurants that now incorporate the concept of suspended meals.

Suspended meals in Hong Kong started in a restaurant called Siu Mei Restaurant in Sham Shui Po (北河燒蠟飯店). Originally, the boss, Mr. Chan gave out free meals to the poor in Sham Shui Po, an impoverished district. The news of Mr.Chan’s act soon became publicized and non-governmental Organizations started to cooperate with Mr. Chan to implement the suspended meal scheme. Slowly, more and more food stores, including bakery, dessert, and meal shops in Sham Shui Po adopted the system, too.

In 2012, a TV program called “Rich Mate Poor Mate Series” (窮富翁大作戰) featured Simon Wong, the owner of LHGroup) and expertise in catering services. He spoke about his organization starting at the grassroots, and how he has strived to strengthen the social responsibility of his chain restaurants by launching schemes of suspended meals.