For the first time, those looking to try Erewhon’s viral $21 smoothies or simply look through shelves of expensive groceries won’t have to enter Los Angeles County to do so.
On Tuesday, an Erewhon opened in Thousand Oaks at the Lakes shopping center in Ventura County. That’s the farthest north the company has gone yet.
The opening marks the luxury grocery store’s 15th location. The new space is inspired by the surrounding landscape, according to the company’s Instagram account. The Thousand Oaks location features store-specific merchandise and an exclusive “Amidst The Oaks” smoothie. Some of the money from the new smoothie sales will go toward the Manna Conejo Food Bank, the company said.
Erewhon stores have become tourist destinations, with people posting videos on social media of themselves visiting and trying foods such as raw vegan cinnamon rolls and buffalo cauliflower.
Last year Erewhon‘s chief executive, Tony Antoci, said the company was embarking on a new era called “Erewhon 2.0” and would include a “wave of expansion.”
He said Erewhon would focus on expanding in Southern California, though a tonic bar did open at a members-only club in New York City last year.
The company has since added stores in Manhattan Beach, West Hollywood and Glendale. Two more locations, in downtown L.A. and Costa Mesa, are scheduled to open in June and September 2027, respectively. The Pacific Palisades location, which closed because of the wildfire last year, is set to reopen in January.
The grocer was founded in 1966 by Japanese immigrants Michio and Aveline Kushi — pioneers of the natural-foods macrobiotic movement who began selling imported organic goods out of their Boston home.
In 1969, the company opened its first Los Angeles location on Beverly Boulevard.
Antoci and his wife, Josephine, bought the company in 2011 and transformed it into a trendy celebrity hot spot.
