Knowledge Management Practices in Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Enterprises: An Empirical Investigation

Objectives Tacit knowledge plays a central role in the specialty coffee sector. Baristas rely on experience, sensory judgment, and hands-on techniques to maintain beverage quality and create memorable customer experiences. Despite the rapid growth of specialty coffee shops in Saudi Arabia, particularly in Madinah, few empirical studies have examined how knowledge is created, shared, documented, and retained within these businesses, or how these practices affect café performance. This study examines tacit and codified knowledge management (KM) practices in specialty coffee enterprises in Madinah, considering how they support or hinder operational performance. Material and Methods Using a quantitative research design, a structured questionnaire was administered to 138 participants (93 baristas and 45 owners or managers) working in specialty coffee enterprises in Madinah. Results The results revealed that tacit knowledge is shared mainly through hands-on learning, peer mentoring, and observation, while formal codification remains limited. Baristas identified learning by observing experienced colleagues as the most influential knowledge-sharing practice (M = 4.66). Owners and managers reported that operational barriers had a significant effect on KM practices (M = 3.66, t = 5.325, p < 0.001). Conclusion Overall, KM was associated with stronger service consistency, operational reliability, and customer satisfaction. The study extends KM research to the context of specialty coffee micro-enterprises and offers practical recommendations for improving knowledge retention and operational performance.