It’s long been rumored that Erewhon — the cultish L.A. based chain known for high-end health food, $19 strawberries and celebrity-inspired smoothies — would be expanding to New York City. Last year, when a City Fresh Market opened in Bushwick, the TikTok account Hotspot_NYC posted a video with the caption “Have you tried the Bushwick Erewhon yet?” The video created confusion, and lines quickly formed around the block to see New York’s first Erewhon-that-wasn’t.
Well the day has finally come: Erewhon is at last opening in the Big Apple. Kind of.
A September 1 Instagram post by Ronnie Fieg, founder and CEO of the high-end streetwear brand Kith, announced the opening of a new private club in Manhattan dubbed Kith Ivy. “KITH IVY. It’s a thing.” was the caption, with little other explanation. The post also has renderings of the space with an area labeled “Erewhon,” but still no details.
More details emerged on September 3 when a post from Fieg showed a green marble and dark wood-lined bar, and the name Erewhon in gold behind it. The aesthetic is a major shift for the Southern California brand — here more Ivy League formal than Venice Beach bungalow.
Visiting the website reveals that Kith Ivy is a private member’s paddle club set to open on the 9th floor of 120 Leroy Street in Manhattan’s West Village sometime this fall. Membership is said to be very limited, and entry price is $36,000 with $7,000 in annual dues (guess even the ultra-rich just want their Hailey Bieber Glaze Skin smoothie after a game of tennis).
So what about the Erewhon itself? The website clarifies that Kith Ivy will host an Erewhon Tonic Bar (sorry, not the full grocery store) for members. For non-members “within a select radius”, the bar will have smoothies and juices to order exclusively via Postmates and Uber Eats. Basically, if you’re a West Village Girl, get ready to lose your mind.
A Cafe Mogador will also open inside the Kith Ivy, but whereas the East Village and Williamsburg locations of the restaurant may be more casual, the dress code here is strictly enforced: “Any guest who does not appear sufficiently well-presented may be refused entry. No shorts, open-toed shoes, or tank tops.”
The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Erewhon and Kith for comment on this story, but neither responded in time for publication.
