How Erewhon Became A TikTok Grocery Store Sensation

If you first saw the name of this store and wondered if it was a little-known "Lord of the Rings" character or perhaps titled by the same conventions that lead suburban millennial women to name their children the way they do — we're looking at you, Caehleigh — you would be forgiven for your reasonable, though false, conclusion. The truth? Erewhon is a TikTok-famous grocery store chain in Southern California that's known for its exorbitantly high-priced items and frequent Kardashian sightings. The name is an anagram for "Nowhere," a reference to Samuel Butler's fiction novel. In his satirical book, Butler's protagonist visits a seemingly utopian society where health is idolized and being sick is a crime, making Erewhon a strange but somewhat fitting title for this health-centric, organic store that's sometimes referred to as having a cult-like following.

The supermarket chain started in the 1960s as a stall in Boston by a Japanese couple who were avid advancers of the natural food movements. It soon migrated to Los Angeles, where it has been ever since, selling raw cow's milk, sea moss gel, and brightly colored smoothies created and sipped on by all manner of stars, with ingredients ranging from coconut water to cauliflower rice. Apart from the celebrity collabs, which have inspired countless "Trying the $22 smoothie from Erewhon" TikTok videos, the chain has also been very conscious about involving influencers in special events and new drops, making shopping at the stores a sort of status symbol for status-obsessed Hollywood. The final key to virality? Everything at Erewhon is absolutely, flawlessly Instagrammable.

The deep love and loyalty some shoppers have for upper-echelon Erewhon isn't just because of the smoothies. But if you live outside of LA and you've heard of the place, odds are somewhat high that you thought it was a juice bar rather than a full-fledged supermarket — the perfectly stacked apples or vast array of jarred goods just don't get the same degree of screen time. So what's in these smoothies that makes Erewhon a viral destination for people with only 24 hours to eat in Los Angeles, anyway?

Let's take a look at some of the celebrity-inspired classics. Sabrina Carpenter, the pop princess known for her songs "Espresso" and "Please Please Please," collaborated with Erewhon on the limited-time "Short n' Sweet" smoothie in August 2024 just before her album of the same name was released. Despite a disappointing lack of espresso (don't worry, though, Carpenter's collab with Dunkin' Donuts can satisfy your coffee cravings), it had generally good reviews. At $23 for 20 ounces, the ingredient list included tropical fruit, vanilla oat milk, honey, coconut cream, blue spirulina powder, and a hair, skin, and nail supplement called Agent Nateur Holi (Mane). Olivia Rodrigo's "good 4 ur GUTS" smoothie featured kombucha and gut support agents, and Hailey Bieber's bubbly pink Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie contains collagen and sea moss.

Erewhon smoothie prices average out to be between about $16 and $20, with the highest-priced item currently set at $22, but you can also build a custom smoothie for as little as $8. Or, with an annual membership for $100 or $200, you can get one super healthy, skin-glowing smoothie a month for free (along with free grocery delivery on orders of $150 or more, rewards points accrual, and other exclusive benefits). Don't have that much disposable income, but bored of your basic banana-and-oat-milk morning blended drink? Mix up your at-home creations with a creamy, Erewhon-worthy, protein-packed smoothie ingredient: silken tofu.