Italy’s Oldest Barista, 100-Year-Old Nonna Anna, Still Runs Her Café

Anna Possi, a centenarian barista in Nebbiuno, continues to serve coffee daily, highlighting the challenges faced by family-run cafés in Italy.

Anna Possi, known as Nonna Anna, has been running her 'Bar Centrale' in Nebbiuno since 1958 and works 365 days a year, even at the age of 100.
She is celebrated as Italy’s oldest café owner, but her longevity underscores the declining number of family-run cafés in the country, with 20,000 fewer establishments than a decade ago.
Factors contributing to the decline include long work hours, low wages, high rents, and increased coffee bean prices, making the profession less appealing to younger generations.
Nonna Anna’s daughter has chosen not to take over the business, leaving the café’s future uncertain once Anna is no longer able to run it.
Despite her age, Anna remains active, managing most tasks herself and valuing the social connections her café provides, even as customer habits shift toward more isolated behaviors like phone usage.