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Clear skies. Low 68F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

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Eagle Rock - After moving here more than twenty years ago, Patricia Vuagniaux found herself driving to Los Feliz for a good cup of coffee.

A love of coffee and community inspired Vuagniaux to open Swork, Eagle Rock's first dedicated coffee bar. Now, 21 years later, Vuagniaux has left the coffee business behind.

“Some people can do it for 50 years, I don’t think that’s me,” Vuagniaux said, citing health concerns as her main reason for closing. “I think 21 years is a good run.”

Swork opened in a renovated storefront at the prominent corner of Eagle Rock and Colorado boulevards.

“I feel it was like a unicorn,” she said of Swork. “It was beautiful. It was easy, and it was fun. “This was back in 2001. It feels like it was an easier time.”

But trouble began brewing, particularly in recent years.

Faced with pandemic prohibitions, Vuagniaux protested by setting out sidewalk bistro tables despite restrictions. Then she found herself at odds with unhoused residents -- even though she handed out free pastries and water to the homeless.

Two of her employees were attacked, she said. One was assaulted by a woman as he tried to move a table where she was sitting at closing time. Separately, a man who had masturbated inside Swork spat on a worker.

“We look like the bad guys for calling the police because an employee just got spit on in their face,” said Vuagniaux.

Both employees quit. That brings up another recent stressor: Staffing. Workers are harder to find.

“When I would run a Craigslist ad prior to the pandemic, I’d get 80 applicants,” Vuagniaux said. Later ads would attract only about five applicants.

But since the beginning of August, that’s all been behind her.

Arthur Sohrabian and Alan Janoyan of Unincorporated Coffee Roasters took over Swork. Vuagniaux visited their Altadena shop, where she was able to observe operations and employee relations before deciding to hand over her business.

“I feel privileged, honored that I was able to have a business for this long,” Vuagniaux said, and “to be able to survive the pandemic, because a lot of my friends who owned businesses did not.”

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Barry Lank has worked for newspapers on the East and West Coasts, and earned an MS in journalism from Columbia University. He formerly produced "National Lampoon Presents: The Final Edition." A native of San Gabriel Valley, he now lives in East Hollywood.

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Swork is not Eagle Rocks first coffee bar. The ECT. coffee house opened in the mid/ late 80's, closed in the early nighties. It was located just few stores east of where Swork currently sits.

Best of luck to her. It was a wonderful place to visit. It's a challenge to be kind to the homeless with mental problems, yet care for employees safety, the many children who were always welcomed at Swork, maintain a clean and healthy work environment that is up to code, etc. 21 years is a good long run. I hope she is able to a rest a little and enjoy the fruits of her labor.

Did we really need to hear about the guy who masturbated?

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

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