For hospitality operators thinking about sustainability, a recently published study offers some grounding evidence, and a practical framework worth knowing about.
Researchers from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia examined how independent coffee shops implement what's called the Triple Layered Business Model Canvas (TLBMC): a framework that maps a business across three dimensions simultaneously, economic, environmental, and social. Rather than treating sustainability as a separate concern, TLBMC asks how these three layers reinforce each other in everyday operations.
The findings are encouraging for anyone working in food and beverage. Coffee shops that diversified their revenue through local partnerships, seasonal menus, and community events didn't just perform better socially, they also built stronger customer loyalty and more stable income streams. Those that sourced locally reduced their transport emissions and their supply chain risk. Composting coffee grounds, offering reusable cup incentives, and hosting community events turned out to be good business decisions as well as good values.
The study also captures something that experienced hospitality operators will recognise: sustainability in small businesses rarely happens through grand strategy. It tends to grow through small, consistent decisions, switching to LED lighting, building relationships with local suppliers, being transparent with customers about where ingredients come from. These incremental steps, taken together, add up.
One of the study's key takeaways is that resource constraints don't have to be a barrier. Even micro-enterprises with limited budgets can integrate economic, environmental, and social thinking, and the businesses that do tend to be better placed to handle disruption when it comes.
For hospitality professionals looking to build a more resilient operation without losing sight of what makes their business worth running, this is a useful read.
Read the full study here; Rasyd, Muhamad & Mulyadi, Hari & Utama, Dian & Furqon, C & Twum, Silas. (2025). Sustainability in Coffee Shops: A Triple-Layered Business Model Canvas Approach. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Studies. 5. 37-55. 10.31098/ijeass.v5i1.2973.