At 16, an Indiana girl earned 5 cents a day at a café her family later bought

At 16, an Indiana girl worked at South Bend’s Sunny Italy Cafe for five cents a day. Her family later became the restaurant’s owners.

Established in 1926, the historic eatery is now celebrating its centennial anniversary while remaining in family hands.

The cafe is known for authentic, scratch-made Italian dishes and traditional recipes. Generations of Notre Dame students and South Bend residents have continued to visit, giving the restaurant a lasting place in the community’s culinary history.