Erewhon is finally coming to New York City-but there's a catch

"New Yorkers, sharpen your metal straws: Erewhon is finally crossing the Hudson. The cult Los Angeles grocery-famous for $21 smoothies, influencer sightings and wellness products that make kale look mainstream-is planting its first flag in Manhattan. But before you start budgeting for $18 pressed juice runs, there's one small hitch: You'll need to cough up $36,000 just to get through the door."

"Membership requires a $36,000 initiation fee plus $7,000 in annual dues. In other words, your Hailey Bieber "Strawberry Glaze Skin" smoothie will come with a side of exclusivity a five-figure cover charge. The Erewhon at Kith Ivy will operate more like a tonic bar, serving juices and smoothies from 7 am to 4 pm. Members can stroll in post-padel match; the rest of us will have to rely on delivery apps like Postmates and Uber Eats."

"If all of this sounds a little extra, it's also very on-brand. Erewhon started life in the 1960s as a crunchy natural foods shop in Boston before migrating west and reinventing itself as the grocery store equivalent of a red-carpet event. Eleven L.A. locations later, the chain is shorthand for aspirational wellness-its branded merch is as coveted as its chia pudding."

Erewhon will open its first Manhattan location as a compact tonic bar inside Kith Ivy, a private padel club at 120 Leroy Street in the West Village. Membership to Kith Ivy requires a $36,000 initiation fee and $7,000 in annual dues, limiting in-person access. The Erewhon space will serve juices and smoothies from 7 am to 4 pm, catering primarily to members after padel matches. Delivery apps such as Postmates and Uber Eats plan to carry the drinks within a certain radius for non-members. Erewhon originated in the 1960s in Boston, later expanding to Los Angeles and becoming a symbol of aspirational wellness with coveted branded merchandise.

Read at Time Out New York