Heretic Coffee, a nonprofit coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, has pulled out of a campaign to build a free café in Gaza after community backlash, according to local news reports. The reversal came about a week after the plan was announced.

Owner Josh White had said on September 18 that Heretic would partner with the HUMANITE Peace Collective, an NGO he had worked with before, to raise 100,000 dollars for the project. The proposed café, named Department of Peace, was to offer free food and drinks to Palestinians every day.

Heretic had become known for feeding people free of charge. White said the shop has served more than 11,000 free meals since November 2025, funded by over 400,000 dollars in public donations. The Gaza site was to sit near the seaport and serve as a safe gathering place.

Local outlets said the withdrawal followed scrutiny of the nonprofit partner. Reports said White intends to pursue the project independently, though no new timeline has been given.

The episode shows how quickly small relief efforts can grow, and how fast they can stall when trust falters.