The Watts Coffee House

Desiree E. Edwards, (right, seated) owner/manager of the Watts Coffee House, greets Harold Hambrick at the shop in the Watts area of Los Angeles. Desiree has owned the coffee house since the mid-1990s. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

July 4, 2012 9:19 AM PT

The Watts Coffee House is a funky and longtime neighborhood hub. Here, there aren’t many sit-down restaurants, let alone Starbucks or cafes.

Desiree Edwards greets customers at the coffee house. At left is Tyra Brisco. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Pastor Derek Brown, 48, is handed a cup of coffee at the Watts Coffee House. He has been coming to the spot for about three years. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Sophia Henry cleans a table at the Watts Coffee House. She has been a waitress there since 2004. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Owner-manager Desiree Edwards (middle) lends a hand in the kitchen (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Elvonzo “Redmann” Cromwell, 34, enjoys breakfast at the coffee house. He has been coming here for 20 years and says place is the “fresh air in our community. It’s a home-base feeling.” (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Some of the wall decorations at the Watts Coffee House. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

California

The Watts Coffee House

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