Topline:
Erewhon, L.A. influencers’ favorite grocery store, has humble beginnings as a natural food market. How To LA dug into its history with Kerry Howley, a features writer for New York Magazine who recently wrote about its transformation into a hippie, aspirational entity that folks both love … and love to hate.
Why it matters (to L.A.): Sometime during the pandemic, Erewhon became the unlikely hangout du jour for the young and beautiful in L.A. It’s now grown into a 10-store empire. For the initiated, Erewhon offers folks a chance to indulge in a bit of edible luxury. For context, hundreds showed up at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Pasadena location. But even for the fans, Erewhon’s fancy vibe and prices do provoke a healthy eye roll.
Why now: New York Magazine writer Kerry Howley recently covered the cult influence of Erewhon and how two Japanese immigrants who were passionate about natural foods started the grocery store in the 1960s.
The backstory: Erewhon’s founders Michio and Aveline Kushi, who were big proponents of the macrobiotic diet, started the natural food store in a time when food in the U.S. was becoming increasingly processed. It was the “age of the Twinkie,” notes Howley. The Kushis developed quite a following as their philosophy around food took hold and the company was able to grow. But it was the purchase by Tony and Josephine Antoci in 2011 that helped transform Erewhon into the place it is today where regular celebrities and Angelenos alike can buy $18 smoothies to show off on the ‘gram.
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