Navigating Crisis and Growth: A Dynamic Capabilities Analysis of a Post-Pandemic Coffee Shop Expansion

In recent decade, the number of coffee shops in Indonesian urban areas have experienced significant growth. The Covid-19 pandemic, on which mobility restrictions and limits on on-site consumption were enacted, disrupted this trajectory. While large of studies examine the general impact of the pandemic on businesses, limited research explains how coffee shops prepared for post-pandemic growth, while also adapted during the crisis. To address that gap, this study examine Coffeeversal (pseudonym), a coffee shop established during the pandemic in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, which later expanded into multiple branches. Qualitative case study approach is adopted, from which in-depth interviews and documentation analysis are employed as the data collection method. Dynamic capabilities and business model canvass framework were considered fit to analyze, interpret and structure the findings. The study concludes that Coffeeversal’s incremental growth is a shift from a survival-driven mode to a more structured ecosystem-based expansion model. The case shows a small service businesses resilience supported by dynamic capabilities and navigated the uncertainties in the business environment during the pandemic