The southern grocery store of California which has become synonymous with luxury and well-being made its first steps in New York.
Erewhon said he was planning to open a tonic bar in an exclusive club for West Village members later this fall.
The Tonic Bar will serve members of Kith Ivy, a lifestyle and fitness club of Ronnie Fieg, director general of the popular Streetwear Kith.
Kith Ivy will open up to an “extremely limited” number of members this fall, the Kith website said.
The miniature Erewhon will be hidden near the cold diving pools and a sauna at 120 Leroy Street in New York, according to Blueprints Fieg published on Instagram.
The members’ club, which will also include Padel roof courts and Cafe Mogador restaurants, will be delivered with high $ 36,000 initiation fees and $ 7,000 annual fees.
Kith Ivy’s prize and exclusivity lines up with Erewhon’s own high -end reputation. In Los Angeles, the grocer is known for his expensive specialized products and drinks inspired by celebrities, such as the Hailey Bieber strawberries of $ 20.
“Erewhon goes after these really premium customers,” said Jeff Wells, editor -in -chief of the commercial publication Picery Dive. “If you succeed in southern California, New York would be the next logical place to go.”
Erewhon’s new tonic bar will offer a limited selection of drinks and smoothies, a company spokesman said on Wednesday. Only Kith Ivy members will be able to order in person, but the other New Yorkers in a selected radius of the club can order drinks to deliver through postmates and Uber Eats.
Erewhon has a loyal audience in the Los Angeles region, where the company operates 11 locations and plans to open three others in West Hollywood, Glendale and Thousand Oaks. The company began in the 1960s as a natural food store in Boston before moving to the west coast.
The grocer’s gap in New York occurs while other supermarket chains have reduced costs. Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs and Food 4 less, is in the midst of closing locations and has recently dismissed nearly 1,000 company employees.
Unlike Ralphs, Erewhon has established itself as a luxury destination which is largely aimed at rich customers.
“Erewhon is to be at the forefront of food and drinks, for a premium price,” said Wells. “Your average middle class buyer cannot afford to buy it.”
