MENGANALISIS STRATEGI BERTAHAN KEDAI KOPI LOKAL MELALUI KEUNGGULAN BERSAING BERBASIS KOMUNITAS DI PASAR JENUH

Abstract

The rapid growth of local coffee shops in major Indonesian cities has intensified competition, turning product quality into a market standard that is easily replicated. This qualitative study analyzes how independent local coffee shops build community-based competitive advantages to sustain their operations amidst a highly saturated urban market. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with operations managers from five independent coffee shops each operating for at least three years and actively facilitating local community activitiesand supplemented by direct observation. The findings identify three interconnected survival strategies: designing inclusive physical spaces that serve as "third places," fostering personal relationships between baristas and customers, and providing space and support for local communities. These practices strengthen emotional bonds, generate organic word-of-mouth promotion, stabilize repeat visits, and reduce customer sensitivity to price competition. The study concludes that local coffee shops can compete with well-capitalized chains not by emulating their scale, technology, or promotional intensity, but by leveraging hard-to-replicate relational and community resources. These findings offer practical implications for food and beverage MSMEs regarding the creation of sustainable differentiation through social closeness and community embeddedness.