Business
'Erewhon 2.0' is coming with three new locations opening in 2025
Erewhon, the luxury supermarket chain that turned grocery shopping into a hyper-trendy Los Angeles lifestyle, is ramping up its pace of expansion.
The company will move into three cities in 2025: Manhattan Beach, West Hollywood and Glendale.
It’s the most store openings in a single year since owners Tony and Josephine Antoci bought Erewhon in 2011, a sign of the organic grocer’s soaring popularity. And after relocating its central kitchen to a much larger industrial space last month, the company says it has the capacity to grow even more around Southern California.
“We see 2025 as the beginning of Erewhon 2.0 — a wave of expansion for us,” said Tony Antoci, who is chief executive.
In Glendale, Erewhon will be taking over the property previously occupied by Virgil’s Hardware Home Center.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Manhattan Beach store will be Erewhon’s first in the South Bay and is scheduled to open in March in a former Mother’s Market & Kitchen at 1700 Rosecrans Ave. After that, the West Hollywood store is set to open over the summer at 8550 Santa Monica Blvd. in a space that was previously a Sprouts. The Glendale store is expected to open toward the end of the year at the site of the old Virgil’s Hardware Home Center at 520 N. Glendale Ave.
Erewhon currently operates 10 markets, all of them in affluent areas of Los Angeles County. Its Pacific Palisades store, which survived the Palisades fire, is temporarily closed.
To support the addition of three new locations — and particularly the in-store cafes that have become core to Erewhon’s business — the company recently completed a three-year buildout of a new central kitchen in Vernon, which at 65,000 square feet is five times larger than its previous one in Boyle Heights.
Known as the commissary, the kitchen is where all of Erewhon’s TikTok-famous hot bar and tonic bar menu items — buffalo cauliflower, coconut chicken tenders, kale salads and gluten-free coconut chaga brownies — are prepped before being delivered to its grocery stores around 5 a.m. daily.
Unlike at traditional supermarket chains, Erewhon has cultivated a following of shoppers who visit daily to grab a prepared meal or one of its celebrity-backed $20 smoothies. The privately held company declined to share financial figures, but said its all-day cafes take up roughly 30% of floor space and serve 100,000 customers every week.
In a 2021 interview with The Times, Tony Antoci said about 40% of the company’s revenue came from its prepared foods and private-label products. Erewhon reportedly pulls in $1,800 to $2,500 in sales per square foot; the industry average is $500 per square foot.
A customer orders from the cafe at Erewhon in Culver City in July.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
As Erewhon has increased its footprint around L.A. County, it has expanded and relocated its commissary every few years to keep up.
Roughly 350 of Erewhon’s 2,500 employees work out of the new 110,000-square-foot Vernon building. The commissary takes up more than half of the leased space and includes a bakery, juice room, pasta room, dry storage and production areas, a research and development kitchen and a training kitchen for the stores’ culinary managers. The rest of the building is being used as office space.
“It’s raising the ceiling of what we can accomplish,” said Tony, who called the commissary the “engine” of the business. “That means more variety, more consistency and more innovation.”
Erewhon’s new commissary, where all the food for its cafes is prepped, takes up 65,000 square feet in Vernon and includes a bakery, juice room, pasta room and dry storage warehouse.
(Andrew Kenney)
Erewhon didn’t start out as a premium grocer. It was founded in 1966 by Japanese immigrants Michio and Aveline Kushi, pioneers of the natural-foods macrobiotic movement who began selling imported organic goods such as brown rice, miso, soy sauce and umeboshi out of their Boston home. After the health department shut it down, the couple rented a small storefront nearby and named it Erewhon, an anagram of “nowhere.”
Erewhon grew to three stores and a distribution facility on the East Coast, and in 1969, the company opened a location in L.A. on Beverly Boulevard. The stores changed owners several times, and eventually the East Coast side of the business was folded into another grocery chain after a period of financial and management struggles.
When the Antocis bought the company for an undisclosed price 14 years ago, only one store remained and its cafe offerings were cooked on site, which limited the couple’s ability to open new locations.
The Antocis have embraced L.A.’s culture and used it to build a cultlike devotion among A-list stars and social media influencers, who have propelled many of its products into viral sensations.
Erewhon now has 10 organic grocers around Los Angeles County and a devoted fan base of well-off, wellness-minded customers.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
To build upon the buzz, Erewhon has branched out beyond selling groceries.
Its fast-growing private-label line now includes Erewhon-branded apparel, bags, candles, nutritional supplements as well as bath and body products.
And its membership program has grown to roughly 50,000 people who pay $100 to $200 annually for special pricing, perks such as free drinks and access to its “lifestyle collective,” an array of discounts from resorts, workout studios, spas and athleisure brands.
Erewhon owners Tony and Josephine Antoci at the Studio City store in 2021.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The company recently expanded its shipping range for nonperishable items, such as a jar of sea moss gel for $88 or a logo hoodie for $185, to a total of 19 countries.
But fans from around the U.S. continue to push for physical stores in other regions, which Tony Antoci said is “a major focal point for us.”
A store in New York, he added, is “absolutely on our radar.” In order to do so, the company would first need to build an East Coast commissary similar to the one in Vernon, he said.
“For the immediate future, we’re focusing on Southern California.”
The luxury shopping center in Pacific Palisades will reopen next month after more than $100 million in renovations forced by the January 2025 wildfire that devastated the Los Angeles neighborhood.
Palisades Village will reopen Aug. 15, owner Rick Caruso announced Wednesday. The outdoor center survived the blaze that destroyed homes and other businesses but needed refurbishment to eliminate contaminants that the fire could have spread.
Crews are putting finishing touches on mall buildings after tearing them down to the studs, treating the wood and rebuilding the walls, Caruso said.
“Everybody’s working, and stores are moving their products in,” he said. “It’s a really cool feeling that people have really locked arms and are working together.”
An electrician installs lighting for a restaurant at Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village on Thursday. The shopping center is scheduled to reopen mid-August.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Pacific Palisades resident Allison Polhill, who is rebuilding the home of 30 years that her family lost in the blaze, said she is “thrilled” at the prospect of returning to the mall she used to frequent. Its comeback is a boost for the community, she said.
“Every single step that we make to reopen our commercial corridors is going to bring more people back into the Palisades,” said Polhill, who expects to move back into her home at the end of August.
A total of 6,822 structures were destroyed in the Palisades fire, including more than 5,500 residences and 100 commercial businesses, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Caruso previously attributed the mall’s survival to the hard work of private firefighters and the fire-resistant materials used in the mall’s construction.
The $200-million shopping and dining center opened in 2018 with a movie theater and a roster of upmarket tenants, including Erewhon, which may be the only grocer in the heart of the fire-ravaged neighborhood when it opens.
Caruso’s company was able to fill the mall with tenants despite the long shutdown.
Palisades Village is 99% leased, with the majority of tenants returning, said Jackie Levy, chief financial and revenue officer. Nearly one-third of the shops and restaurants are new to the property.
A firefighter carries a hose back to his rig while walking through a destroyed home from the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Last year, Pacific Palisades-based fashion designer Elyse Walker said she would reopen her eponymous store in Palisades Village after losing her 25-year flagship location on Antioch Street to the inferno.
Other neighborhood shops destroyed in the fire that are reopening at the mall include K Bakery and Loomey’s Toys, which caters to children up to age 12 and used to be across the street from Palisades Elementary Charter School.
“It’s been a journey and I’m excited because I wasn’t sure that there was going to be a place to come back to,” said toy store owner Amanda Rastegar. “Hopefully we can bring some of that magic back.”
Rastegar’s home in the Palisades survived but was damaged by the fire. The family returned about eight weeks ago. Her last memory of the fire was a burning supermarket.
“I just couldn’t wrap my brain around what was happening,” she said. “By the time I left, Gelson’s was on fire.”
Among the returning tenants is Angelini Ristorante & Bar. Well-known Los Angeles chef Gino Angelini said he will be in the kitchen next month for a return of the Italian restaurant.
“We won’t do a big celebrity open,” he said. “We want to have a very soft opening and see our customers come back.”
Construction takes place at Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village on Thursday. The shopping center is scheduled to reopen mid-August.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
An elaborate celebration would not feel “correct for me,” Angelini said, because the devastation has been “very sad” for so many.
Other new tenants include local chef Nancy Silverton, who has agreed to move in with a new Italian steakhouse called Spacca Tutto. Women’s activewear retailer LESET will open its first West Coast location.
Caruso said he is optimistic that customers will return to the center, even though many Pacific Palisades residents are still dispersed. One tracking system estimated that about 30% of the Village’s customer base was impacted by the fire, he said.
“That means 70% did not get impacted, so there’s a lot of customers still left out there,” Caruso said. Historically, the center drew customers from as far away as Beverly Hills and Calabasas, as well as Malibu, Brentwood and Santa Monica.
He also hopes many will be inspired to visit the revived mall.
“I believe in the goodness of people and I believe that people are going to want to support the Palisades,” he said. “They’re going to want to be there and support the businesses that have had the courage and the heart to reopen.”
Walmart is rapidly expanding its network of electric vehicle chargers designed for customers to use while they shop.
The network could help fill gaps in EV infrastructure in states with greater need for chargers. Walmart, which has more than 5,000 locations in the U.S. and hundreds in California, says more than 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of one of its stores.
The chargers also offer an incentive for customers to choose Walmart — Walmart Plus members will receive a 10% discount off an average price of $0.46 per kilowatt-hour of energy at the company’s chargers.
Walmart chargers are already available at more than 75 locations in 17 states, with Texas boasting the most charging stations, followed by Florida and Arizona.
Matthew Nelson, Walmart’s director of energy policy, said last week on LinkedIn that the network will soon reach 29 states, including California.
“We are delivering on the promise of affordable, reliable and convenient charging,” Nelson said in his post.
According to Walmart’s website, six charging stations are coming to California soon, though the company did not offer a specific timeline.
The chargers will be installed at stores in Antelope, Brea, Fresno, Stockton, Suisun City and Vallejo.
Most charging sites in California will include eight to 16 fast-charging stalls, said Walmart spokesperson Kelsey Bohl.
The company first announced plans in April 2023 to install its own EV chargers at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, with a goal of installing thousands of chargers by 2030. Partnering with ABB E-Mobility and Alpitronic, it added 25 new charging sites this past May and six more in June.
“Walmart is building a leading retail-integrated EV fast-charging network, focused on delivering an affordable, reliable and convenient charging experience where customers already shop,” Bohl said in an emailed statement. “Customers can charge while they shop, access stations through the Walmart app they already use, and benefit from affordable pricing.”
The charging stations already available include 612 individual charging stalls using 400-kilowatt chargers. Each stall has a dual charging cord with both Combined Charging System and North American Charging Standard connectors. The standard connectors, designed by Tesla, are smaller and lighter than the combined systems.
The primary way to pay for the chargers is through the Walmart app, but the company is also experimenting with built-in credit card readers to allow those without the app to use the stations.
Customers can check charger availability on the Walmart app. The company said the chargers will be available 24 hours a day.
Robotaxis could be turning into robocops.
A self-driving Waymo reported two teens to San Mateo, Calif., police on Monday after they were found drinking alcohol and shooting toy guns in the back of the vehicle.
According to a social media post from the San Mateo Police Department, officers detained two 15-year-olds after the Waymo they were riding in contacted the department and stopped in a parking lot until law enforcement arrived.
“Parents do you know where your teens are?” the San Mateo Police Department wrote on Facebook following the incident. “Waymo does!”
Officers removed both teens from the vehicle and determined they were using toy guns to shoot Orbeez out the windows. Orbeez are small, water-absorbing beads sold at toy stores.
“Toy guns, water guns, and BB guns all pose real dangers, especially to an untrained eye,” the Police Department said. “The simple handling of them can cause fear in [passersby].” “
A video posted on Facebook shows at least five officers and a police dog responding to the scene and approaching the Waymo with their weapons raised.
Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Waymo vehicles have internal cameras and microphones that may be used in an emergency or to “promote safety and security,” according to Waymo’s online support page.
The cameras are also used to ensure the vehicles are clean and to help find lost items, according to the support page.
The company said it does not use facial recognition or other biometric identification technologies to identify individuals.
“In more urgent circumstances, support may access live video during a trip,” the Waymo page said.
The San Mateo Police Department’s Facebook post has garnered nearly 60 comments, with one user accusing Waymo of “snitching.”
“At least they got a designated driver?!” one user commented.
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