100-year-old grandmother becomes the oldest barista in Italy

Anna Possi owns Café Centrale overlooking Lake Maggiore in the small town of Nebbiuno in northern Italy. Every day from 7 am to 7 pm she serves delicious coffee to guests. On November 16, 2024, Possi turned 100 years old, making her Italy's oldest barista.

“I always work - on Sundays, Easter and Christmas. I never take vacations,” she says.

Possy has been a barista for over 65 years. On May 1, 1958, she and her husband opened a cafe, where they served guests espresso and cappuccino, and since 1971, alcoholic drinks. The establishment had a jukebox that attracted customers from afar. “We were the most modern bar in town,” Possey says.

After her husband's death in 1974, she devoted her life to raising her children and the café. The woman describes the 1970s and 80s as “the most wonderful years in the history of the bar.” Celebrities often came to the establishment, including famous Italian football players.

Today, Centrale is known as a "vintage bar" that serves homemade apple pie on Sundays. Possy has a computer in her office that she uses every morning to read the news and watch trading on the stock market. According to the woman, she still wants to learn new things.

Now the cafe is experiencing another influx of customers - people are interested in meeting their grandmother, who works as a barista at such a mature age. According to Possy, this is the secret of her longevity.

“I don’t want to be melancholic. I want to be among people and will work as long as my health allows,” she said.

According to Istat, by the end of 2023 there will be 22.5 thousand people over 100 years of age registered in Italy. The vast majority of them are women.