Usually, ordering coffee means raised voices at the counter — cashiers calling out, customers leaning in, everyone talking over each other to decide between this or that. It’s a noisy ritual familiar to almost every café. But that routine has finally been broken. Alongside trying a new coffee, customers here discover an entirely new way of ordering and communicating.
Breaking Barriers Over Coffee
In a quiet corner of Lebanon, a small café is changing the way people think about communication. Sip and Sign, founded by 34-year-old Elie Hanna, is more than just a spot to grab a latte or dessert—it’s a cultural bridge between Lebanon’s deaf and hearing communities.
For Hanna, the idea grew from personal frustration. As a deaf person, dining out was rarely a comfortable experience. “When I used to go to restaurants with my friends, we were often misunderstood, sometimes even served the wrong orders,” he recalls. “Hearing people were scared to communicate with us, thinking we wouldn’t understand. That’s when I decided to create a space where deaf people could feel relaxed and understood—and where hearing people could learn something new.”
A Café Built on Connection
At Sip and Sign, communication is part of the experience. Customers don’t need to know sign language to order, but most find themselves eager to try. The café’s playful interior includes visual guides on how to sign common phrases—“hello,” “thank you,” “coffee,” “hot,” “cold”—and a small catalog on the counter encourages guests to experiment. Hanna says the first reactions were priceless: “People were so happy and excited. They felt that the communication barrier no longer existed.”
The staff reflects the café’s inclusive spirit. One team member is deaf, while the others are hearing, trained in the basics of café-related sign language. “It makes everyone comfortable, both staff and customers,” Hanna explains.
Beyond Coffee: Raising Awareness
Sip and Sign is more than a novelty—it’s a statement about inclusion in Lebanon, where accessibility for the deaf community remains limited. “Every deaf person dreams of seeing sign language present in municipalities, hospitals, restaurants, and government institutions,” Hanna says. “Sip and Sign is just the first step. Deaf people are not disabled; they simply have a different language and lifestyle. They deserve to be represented and understood.”
To further bridge the gap, the café hosts free weekend workshops, inviting hearing customers to learn more about sign language and deaf culture. “It’s not hard to communicate with us,” Hanna says. “People just need the chance to try.”
Challenges and Dreams Ahead
Launching the café wasn’t easy. Hanna faced the same communication barriers in business that he did socially. “I needed my brother, Jean Paul, who is a startup consultant, to help with the business plan and to talk to suppliers and institutions,” he says. “If there were more people speaking our language in these places, I could have done much more on my own.”
Still, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. One of Hanna’s favorite moments came when a mother brought her two young children to the café. “Her 10-year-old was so excited. He insisted on using the catalog to order in sign language—it was so cute. That’s exactly why we do this.”
Looking ahead, Hanna hopes Sip and Sign will grow beyond its current walls. “I want to expand across Lebanon, maybe even the Middle East. Our goal is to raise awareness worldwide so that deaf people can get all their rights,” he says.
A Message Beyond the Café
If Hanna could send one message to those unfamiliar with deaf culture, it would be simple yet powerful: “Deaf people are not disabled. They just speak a different language. They are capable of doing anything—they just need to be understood, trusted, and supported. Sign language should be taught in universities; its presence is essential so that deaf people can feel safe and live independently, without always relying on family.”
With every cup of coffee poured and every sign taught, Sip and Sign proves that breaking barriers doesn’t always take grand gestures. Sometimes, it just takes a café, a little curiosity, and a willingness to listen with more than words.
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