100 years later, daughter still runs cafe where mom earned 5 cents a day at 16

When 16-year-old Frances began washing dishes and serving customers at a neighbourhood eatery along the St. Joseph River in South Bend, Indiana, she earned just five cents a day. A century later, the same restaurant is still in her family, serving its famous hand-rolled meatballs and red sauce that is simmered for two days. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026, the Sunny Italy Cafe is South Bend’s oldest operating restaurant, with Frances’s daughter now running the kitchen and dining room. According to reporting by Bluewater Healthy Living and an archival feature from Yahoo News, the restaurant’s story began in 1926 when Anthony and Rose Vumbaca opened a cafe at 601 North Niles Avenue, originally called the North Niles Avenue Cafe. Frances, who lived across the street, started working there soon after it opened to help support her family.