Italy’s Oldest Barista, Nonna Anna, Still Serving Coffee at 100

Anna Possi, owner of Bar Centrale in Nebbiuno, continues her 65-year tradition, highlighting the challenges facing family-run Italian cafébars.

Nonna Anna, born in 1924, has run Bar Centrale in Nebbiuno, Italy, since 1958 and continues to work daily at 100 years old.
Despite officially retiring in 1984, she remains a community fixture, serving coffee 365 days a year, including holidays.
Italy has seen a sharp decline in family-run cafébars, with 20,000 fewer establishments than a decade ago due to long hours, low wages, and rising costs.
Nonna Anna’s bar faces an uncertain future, as her daughter and other family members have decided not to take over the business.
Anna Possi attributes her longevity to staying active and social, though she acknowledges changing times, with fewer patrons engaging in conversation and more absorbed in their phones.