Bratislava, Slovakia – An upbeat melody drifts from the piano strings, softening the steady clatter of silverware on dishes at Dobre Dobre café. 

The coffeehouse situated at an intersection where a pair of the historic old city’s chalky alleyways meet is known for hiring the homeless residents of Bratislava as waiters. 

Inside, the tables are full. The waitresses and waiters scurry back and forth between table and the bar, fetching orders of coffee and bites.

“There is no way when you’re homeless to go to work when you have nowhere to sleep, eat or rest,” says Sergej Kara, chairman of the Vagus Civic Association, which administers the café.

In December 2016, an official census placed the capital’s homeless population at 2,064, but authorities and volunteers estimate that the number exceeds 5,000, according to local media reports.

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