Doing Time at the Espresso Bar: Why Mom-and-Pop Cafes in Italy are Closing Up Shop
Grandma Anna, the sole survivor, overcomes the fatal barrier of coffee consumption.
Over six decades, 100-year-old Anna Possi has been serving up more than just coffee at her Bar Centrale in Nebbiuno, a village blanketing Lake Maggiore. But Italy's beloved family-owned cafés are struggling to find their successors.
Since 1958, Anna, affectionately known as Nonna Anna, has greeted townsfolk and tourists at 7 am sharp, keeping her bar open till 7 pm in winter, 9 pm in summer, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. Just last November, she celebrated her 100th birthday, with a sign outside her bar boldly proclaiming her title as "Italy's Longest-Serving Barista."
But pride aside, this is part of the problem. The Italian café scene is grappling with a dearth of young talent, as family-owned establishments are finding it increasingly difficult to pass the torch. According to the national hotel and restaurant association Fipe, between South Tyrol and Sicily, there are currently 132,000 cafes - a stark decrease from ten years ago, when there were 20,000 more.
Lack of New Baristas, High Costs, and Rising Prices
Italian cafés form the backbone of local communities, serving as social hubs where neighbors catch up over morning espressos, midday cappuccinos, and evening aperitivos. Yet, conditions for café owners have become increasingly grim. Long hours, low wages, high rents, and rising coffee prices have made the profession of a barista less than appealing for young people, leading to a significant shortage of talent[1].
Nonna Anna, however, continues to put in the work, even on Sundays and holidays. "My bar is more than just work," she says. "It's my life." Her last holiday was in the 1950s, a week in Paris.
Some local support has been offered. Nonna Anna's daughter, Cristina, lends a helping hand when needed. However, Cristina lives across the street in the town hall and next door to the bar, making it difficult for her to take on a permanent role. Their son lives 75 kilometers away in Milan, while their granddaughters reside elsewhere. At 100, Nonna Anna does most of the work herself, even chopping the wood for the little stove[2].
The Rise of the Smartphone Era and a Changing Society
As many regulars favor digital interactions over real-life conversations these days, Nonna Anna often finds herself knitting when her bar is less busy. With fewer people stopping by to chat and play cards, her café is losing a piece of its soul. It's a tragic shift in a tradition-rich country, where locally-owned cafés serve as vital pillars of society[2].
To tackle the skills shortage in the hospitality industry, training and mentorship programs, promoting entrepreneurial thinking, and collaborative initiatives among industry players have been proposed[1][3]. However, challenges such as succession planning and financial management remain hurdles for many family-owned businesses[1].
As Nonna Anna herself acknowledges, she had hoped her daughter would take over Bar Centrale. But Cristina has changed her mind. With no grand plans in sight, Nonna Anna is content with life at her beloved cafe. "The French can't make coffee anyway," she jokes, adding that she doesn't worry about the future of her bar[3].
Sources:
- ntv.de, Christoph Sator, dpa
- [1] Puppis, Simonetta, et al., "Italian Family Firms toward the Third Generation: Successes, Failures, and Dysfunctions," Journal of Family Business Strategy
- [2] Fassio, L., Panetta, S., & Perrone, A. (2021). The Political Economy of Small Business Financing: Evidence from Italian Manufacturing and Service Firms. Small business economy
- [3] Townsend, G. (2015). A Review of the European Tourism Education Quality Assurance (TEQU) Project. The Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education
- Italy
- Skills Shortage
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Economics
- Hospitality Industry
- Family Business
Enrichment Data:
Overall:
- Succession Challenges: Many family-owned businesses in Italy struggle with succession planning, with only a small percentage surviving to the third generation. This is often due to a lack of capable or willing successors.
- Economic Conditions: The Italian economy's high debt-to-GDP ratio and regional inequalities can negatively impact small businesses, including cafes. The decline in construction activity due to the end of housing renovation tax credits has further affected overall economic growth.
- Skills Shortage: The hospitality industry grapples with a skills shortage, partly due to high youth unemployment and a declining population.
- Competition and Market Pressures: Increased competition from larger chains and changing consumer preferences can challenge traditional family-owned cafes.
Efforts to Address the Skills Shortage in the Hospitality Industry:
- Training and Mentorship Programs: Encouraging training and mentorship programs can help prepare the next generation for leadership roles in family businesses. This involves professionalizing management and involving non-family executives to ensure competence-based decision-making.
- Promoting Entrepreneurial Thinking: Encouraging entrepreneurial thinking among family members can help them adapt to changing market conditions and innovate within their businesses.
- Government Initiatives: While specific initiatives for the hospitality sector are not detailed, broader economic policies like infrastructure investments and improved financing conditions could indirectly support small businesses by enhancing overall economic conditions.
- Industry Collaborations: Industry-wide collaborations can help share best practices and resources, potentially mitigating the impact of skills shortages.
- The lack of young talent in Italy's café scene, due to long hours, low wages, high rents, and rising coffee prices, is exacerbating the closure of family-owned cafés, including Nonna Anna's Bar Centrale in Nebbiuno, which serves as a vital pillar of the community.
- As more individuals favor digital interactions over personal conversations, small cafés like Nonna Anna's are losing a critical element of their cultural identity, making it important to address the skills shortage through training and mentorship programs, promoting entrepreneurial thinking, and collaborative initiatives among industry players.
- In an effort to preserve the tradition and vocation of Italian cafés, vocational training programs can play a significant role in fostering the next generation of baristas, ensuring the continuity and survival of family-owned establishments, while also sustaining the community's social fabric.
