If you consider the transformations and turnovers of Coconut Grove, not to mention the national trends of the retail industry, Maya Hatcha can claim status as both countercultural landmark and enduring ethnic boutique.

The small triangular shop behind a bold yellow-and-blue fac¸ade sits on Grand Avenue in the historic heart of the Grove, still smelling of sweet incense (100 sticks for $5.50). Still pedaling the slip-on water buffalo ''Jesus sandals'' favored by the peace- and pot-loving hippies of Peacock Park. Still stocking the Kama Sutra powders and potions of a free-love generation. Still draped in luxurious ethnic textiles -- embroidered bedspreads and hand-painted tapestries from India, Indonesian sarongs, Moroccan jackets, tops and pants. And still serving a loyal base of artsy consumers who prefer a colorful owner-operated boutique to a faceless chain store.

SINCE 1968

The lithely stylish Vivian Jordan is behind the counter today as she was in September 1968, when she and her sister, Sylvia, opened Maya Hatcha as young entrepreneurs who loved the groovy Grove's Bohemian ways. Jordan was 10 when her family moved to Miami from Guatemala; her homeland inspired the shop's Indian artifact name. (Sylvia Jordan left the shop to organize the Barnyard Community Center, where she has been helping inner-city families in the West Grove for three decades.)

Maya Hatcha ''still has that old Grove feel,'' said Debra Cortese, an artist who designs handbags. The Grove was her hangout in the early 1970s. Cortese returned to South Florida five years ago and was thrilled to rediscover Maya Hatcha. ``I do a lot of my gift shopping there. I got handmade beaded alligator bracelets for all my friends in Boston and Vermont.''

SURVIVAL STORY

''Fussy'' about her clothes, Cortese loves the cotton, silk and linen fabrics at Maya Hatcha and the personal experience of shopping there. ''I find Vivian such a pleasure,'' Cortese said. ``She knows who I am and what I do and that makes all the difference when I go shopping.''

Maya Hatcha is more than a leftover slice of the hippie Grove; it's a retail survival story. In the age of megastores and super malls, Jordan has hung on by exploiting to a T the potential of a small mom-and-pop business. Most of the old Grove shops have been forced out by soaring rents or eaten up by the CocoWalk outdoor mall, the Mayfair Hotel, trendy eateries and other upscale development.

Maya Hatcha's oddly shaped little space (it was once the 800-square-foot kitchen for a drugstore dining counter) has remained available. Jordan grew a loyal customer base by offering personalized service. And she stuck with her niche and style, relying on a core inventory that's too specialized to generate competition from the chain stores.

''I think that's the key to the whole thing. I tried to stay true to my look, which was ethnic items and beautiful fabrics that last forever,'' Jordan said. ``It's a timeless type of fashion.''

And one that gets her repeat customers. Charlotte Cole, a former Grove resident, hasn't lived in Miami since 1974. But she has never stopped shopping at Maya Hatcha. When she visits the area several times a year, she stocks up on Moroccan clothing. ''They feel so good and look so good and no one else shows up in my outfit,'' she said.

Cole said Maya Hatcha offers what the malls can't. ''The store is current as well as nostalgic for a child of the hippie days in the Grove,'' said Cole, 63.

Some of Jordan's enduring items now appeal to a broader crowd. Drawstring pants popular for yoga workouts and exotic belly-dancing anklets and jingle belts attract the fitness-oriented, for example.

Internet sales have helped in recent years since Jordan created a website, www.mayahatcha.com. She sold 500 pairs of water buffalo sandals to a St. Louis opera company performing Aida.

Still, Maya Hatcha's Guatemalan worry dolls come in handy for Jordan. Annual sales -- anywhere from $230,000 to $300,000 -- are about a third of what they once were. ''I try not to focus on the numbers because you feel really sick,'' Jordan said.

''I've had loss years, especially in the last few years, but it's looking better,'' she said. ``You can't expect to always be making money in retail.''

Four years ago, she got a real-estate license to test new waters. When one of her several employees is staffing the store, Jordan sells homes. But she has no plans to abandon Maya Hatcha, which is as much a lifestyle for Jordan as a business.

''I can't see parting with it, not in the near future,'' she said. ``It's my baby.''

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