In Spain, Robin Hood restaurants serve paying clients by day, homeless people by night

Robin Hood restaurants opened in Spain earlier this month, devoted to serving dinner to the needy free of charge, the New York Times reports. By day, the four restaurants are quintessential Spanish bars – serving coffee and snacks to paying customers – but at night, homeless people can dine at tables set with tablecloths, cutlery and crockery, all free of charge.

Father Ángel García Rodríguez, president of non-governmental organization Messengers of Peace (which he founded 54 years ago), came up with the concept. He told the Times that the model addresses the fact that it’s difficult to “regain a sense of dignity and purpose” when eating in a soup kitchen. “To get served by a waiter wearing a nice uniform and to eat with proper cutlery, rather than a plastic fork, is what gives you back some dignity,” he told the Times.

The project launched approximately a month ago, and Father Ángel is already looking for ways to expand the concept internationally. He told the Times that he has been in talks with a restaurant owner in Miami about opening a Robin Hood there in January. Father Ángel also hopes that high-profile chefs will volunteer their services from time to time, and cook at Robin Hood restaurants.

“The inspiration came from Pope Francis, who’s spoken again and again about the importance of giving people dignity, whether it’s through bread or through work,” Father Ángel told the Guardian when the first restaurant opened earlier this month in Madrid. “So we thought, why not open a restaurant with tablecloths and proper cutlery and waiters? People with nothing can come and eat here in the restaurant and get the same treatment as everyone else. It’s just common sense.”