Coffee Shops as “Third Places”: Integrating Work, Resilience, and Supportive Leadership

Abstract

This study investigates the role of coffee shops as informal workspaces, their contribution to employee resilience, and the practice of supportive leadership in urban context. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed, involving 16 employees and 3 leaders who participated through Likert-scale questionnaires and in-depth interviews. All employee respondents had prior experience working from coffee shops, although the frequency varied. Findings indicate that employees perceive coffee shops as functional, flexible, and psychologically restorative workspaces, providing an intermediate environment between home and office. Coffee shops were reported to enhance focus, facilitate informal meetings, and support creative and collaborative work. In addition, these spaces were found to promote resilience, allowing employees to recover from stress, manage work-related fatigue, and maintain motivation in flexible and remote work arrangements. Leaders acknowledged work-from-coffee-shop practices as a form of supportive leadership, offering autonomy, trust, and psychological support, while also highlighting certain limitations such as task suitability and potential distractions. This study contributes to the literature by integrating three dimensions: workspace functionality, resilience building, and supportive leadership, demonstrating how nonformal workspaces can serve as “third places” that simultaneously support productivity, well-being, and leadership practices. The findings provide practical insights for organizations and managers seeking to implement flexible work arrangements that promote employee engagement and psychological health in the digital era.