Erewhon Market
Company type | Privately held company |
---|---|
Industry | |
Founded | 1966[1] (as part of Erewhon Organic) |
Founders | |
Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
Number of locations | 10[2] |
Areas served | Los Angeles County, California |
Key people |
|
Number of employees | approx. 216[3][4] |
Website | erewhonmarket |
Erewhon Market (/ˈɛrɛhwɒn/ ERR-eh-hwon) is an American upscale supermarket chain with ten locations, all in Los Angeles County, California, United States.[5][6][7] The chain is noted for being a popular locale frequented by entertainment figures as reported in celebrity gossip and lifestyle publications.
History
[edit]Erewhon was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1966 by Michio and Aveline Kushi.[1][8][9][10] The name "Erewhon" is derived from the 1872 satirical novel Erewhon by Samuel Butler. In the novel, Erewhon, an anagram of "nowhere", is a utopia in which individuals are responsible for their own health and prosecuted for the crime of being ill.[11] With ten locations in Los Angeles County,[2] the brand has been compared to the early years of Whole Foods Market.[12]
The Erewhon Organic brand was originally a health foods producer with a single store. In 1979, the brand was purchased from bankruptcy by employee Tom DeSilva.[13] In 2011, Tony and Josephine Antoci purchased the last store on Beverly Boulevard that remained open from the widow of Tom DeSilva.[14][15][16] Tom Antoci created and developed the brand into an upscale supermarket.[17] Following several years of increasing financial performance, New York–based private equity firm Stripes Group purchased a substantial minority stake in Erewhon in 2019.[17]
In August 2022, Erewhon opened their eighth location and first Beverly Hills location in the former Williams-Sonoma space.[18][19] As of 2023, Erewhon ships nationwide to all 50 states, as well as Australia, Canada and the UK.[20] In September 2023, Erewhon opened a location in Pasadena, the first east of Interstate 5.[21]
In 2024, Erewhon filed an environmental lawsuit to block the construction of a mixed-use development which included 520 apartments (78 of which were subsidized affordable housing), groundfloor retail and restaurants on the nearby lot of a vacant 190-room hotel in Los Angeles.[22]
Locations
[edit]- Calabasas[2]
- Fairfax District[2]
- Pacific Palisades[2]
- Santa Monica[2]
- Silver Lake[2]
- Venice[2][23]
- Studio City[2]
- Beverly Hills[19]
- Culver City[24][25]
- Pasadena[26][27]
In popular culture
[edit]Erewhon is alluded to as "Anavrin" in the Netflix original series You. Protagonist Joe Goldberg works at the store.[28]
The South Park episode "Back to the Cold War" references Erewhon as part of a running joke.[29][non-primary source needed]
Erewhon is referenced in the Wallice song "Off the Rails."[30][unreliable source]
Erewhon is referenced in the Logic songs "Check Please"[31][unreliable source] and "Clone Wars III."[32][unreliable source]
Erewhon is referenced by guest star Corbin Bleu in the fourth episode of season three of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.[33][non-primary source needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Our Story | Erewhon Market". Erewhon. Archived from the original on September 6, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Locations". Erewhon Market. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ "Erewhon Market Overview". PitchBook. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ "Erewhon Market Careers and Employment". Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ Howley, Kerry (November 6, 2023). "Erewhon's Secrets". The Cut.
- ^ "What Is Erewhon? All About the Celebrity-Loved Grocery Store Chain". Peoplemag. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ Delouya, Samantha. "I compared the prices at Los Angeles's high-end grocery store Erewhon with 2 other popular markets". Business Insider. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ Martin, Douglas (July 23, 2001). "Aveline Kushi, 78, Advocate of Macrobiotic Diet for Health". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Lewin, Tamar (January 5, 2015). "Michio Kushi, Advocate of Natural Foods in the U.S., Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Berlinger, Max (February 17, 2021). "How Erewhon Became L.A.'s Hottest Hangout". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "13 Inspiring Business Branding Examples for Strong Brand Positioning". January 13, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ Erewhon's New Store Calls To Mind Whole Foods' Beginnings Forbes, Phil Lempert, April 11, 2018
- ^ Howley, Kerry (November 6, 2023). "Erewhon's Secrets". The Cut. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ Grocer is on a natural growth path Los Angeles Times, Ronald D. White, January 31, 2016
- ^ Hoberman, Natalie (April 20, 2018). "Tony and Josephine Antoci | Betty Warner | Brentwood". The Real Deal. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ "History of Erewhon – Natural Foods Pioneer in the United States (1966–2011)". SoyInfo Center. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Organic Grocer Erewhon Eyes Expansion After Private Equity Deal Chloe Sorvino, Forbes, October 7, 2019
- ^ "Erewhon Coming To Beverly Hills To Fill Former Williams-Sonoma Space". What Now Los Angeles. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Ginsberg, Merle (September 1, 2022). "The Well-Heeled Hungry Converge on New Beverly Drive Erewhon". Los Angeles.
- ^ "Erewhon". Erewhon. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "Erewhon Market grand opening brings hundreds to historic Pasadena building". Pasadena Star News. September 14, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ "Erewhon sues city to stop Sportsmen's Lodge development in Studio City". Los Angeles Times. May 13, 2024.
- ^ Fear and Loathing at Erewhon, the High-Margin Grocery Store That Might Just Take Over the World Or at least Los Angeles… Los Angeles, Steven Blum, August 19, 2019
- ^ Andrea Chang (December 9, 2021). "How Erewhon made luxury groceries a lifestyle". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022.
- ^ RDC Architecture News (23 March 2023) Erewhon Opens New Location in Culver City
- ^ Calayag, Keith (September 6, 2023). "Erewhon Pasadena Opens on Sept. 13". Pasadena Now.
- ^ "Organic Grocer Erewhon Coming to Iconic South Lake Avenue Building". Pasadena Now. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
- ^ "It Looks Like Anavrin, the Store From 'You' Season 2, Is Totally Based on a Real Grocery Store". Cosmopolitan. December 31, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ^ "Back to the Cold War". South Park. Season 25. March 2, 2022. Comedy Central.
- ^ Wallice – Off the Rails, retrieved September 29, 2022
- ^ Logic – Check Please, retrieved September 8, 2024
- ^ Logic – Clone Wars III, retrieved September 8, 2024
- ^ "HSMTMTS Season 3 Episode 4 | Disney+". www.disneyplus.com. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Retail companies established in 1980
- Supermarkets based in California
- Companies based in Los Angeles County, California
- Companies based in Los Angeles
- Health food stores
- Privately held companies based in California
- Venice, Los Angeles
- Santa Monica, California
- Silver Lake, Los Angeles
- Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles
- Calabasas, California
- Upper class culture in the United States
- Certified B Corporations in the Food & Beverage Industry