The rumors are true — Erewhon is coming to the East Coast with a New York City location.
The luxury grocery store confirmed in a Thursday Instagram post that a Manhattan Erewhon Tonic Bar is in the works. This marks Erewhon’s first location outside of California.
While this location will not be Erewhon’s typical grocery store format, the slated store is part of an incoming private members club called Kith Ivy in the borough’s West Village neighborhood. Kith Ivy, a high-end street apparel brand, will let club members order in person at the Erewhon tonic bar, while nonmembers can access the smoothies and juices via the Uber and Postmates delivery apps, according to the club’s website.
Eater reported that Kith Ivy’s initiation fee is $36,000 with $7,000 in annual dues.
Erewhon is known for its eye-catching prices and for being at the bleeding edge of food and beverage trends, with offerings that range from celebrity partnership smoothies to a $19 strawberry. Its East Coast debut underscores that, even if the chain plans to test out new formats and expand outside California, it doesn’t plan to stray from a high-end experience.
Kevin Ervin Kelley, an author as well as principal and co-founder of Shook Kelley, credited Erewhon’s “transformative power of fashion and culture” in a Thursday LinkedIn post, noting that while most grocers are working overtime to lower prices, the luxury grocer continues to hold fast to its upscale position.
“They’re not just selling groceries. They’re selling an aspiration. It’s a brilliant playbook almost no other grocery chain uses. But here’s the kicker: strategy is free. Any retailer could adopt it. But they must be willing to see that building a powerhouse brand takes more than cutting costs,” Kelley wrote in the post.
