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A whole new set of fans are swarming to get their hands on the $20 Hailey Bieber Strawberry Glaze Skin Erewhon smoothie — roaches. On April 8, 2025, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found a “major” violation at Erewhon’s Santa Monica Wilshire Boulevard location in a recent inspection, as first reported by Curbed; the violation report also populated overnight in a Reddit thread. Erewhon, founded in Boston in 1966, is a health grocery store cum luxury shopping experience known for its celebrity clientele, exorbitantly priced dry goods, organic produce, and some of the best smoothies in Los Angeles. In recent years, collaborations for its $20-plus smoothies have included such well-known folks as Sabrina Carpenter, Lalisa Manobal, and Nara Smith.
Typically, major health code violations of this sort lead to immediate temporary closures of the dining establishment, though other interactions were also listed on the April 8 report. A minor violation involved “Time as a Public Health Control,” which happens when food gets left outside of proper storage or temperature for more than four hours or when a written procedure has not been maintained. Other violations on the report included plumbing, unclean non-food-contact surfaces, and inadequate ventilation or lighting. According to the site, as of Thursday, April 10, the Santa Monica Erewhon location remains open, and the tonic bar was temporarily closed.
In a follow-up statement to Eater LA, a representative from Erewhon wrote that the store “sincerely apologizes” for the lapse in standards and that the health and safety of customers is a “top priority.” The statement also says that the store has weekly visits from pest control, and voluntarily closed the tonic bar after the inspection. As of 2:45 p.m. on April 10, the health department had completed a re-inspection and the tonic bar is open.
Cockroach infestations are nothing new to Los Angeles restaurants. Iconic eateries Casa Vega, 101 Noodle Express, Philippe’s, and Rainbow Bar and Grill were all temporarily shuttered by the health department in the past for vermin problems. Even the “never closed” Original Pantry Cafe was shut down by the health department in 2019 for a cockroach infestation.
In a statement provided to Curbed, Erewhon confirmed that a cockroach had been found in its tonic bar but did not specify how long it had been living a lifestyle that Gwyneth Paltrow would probably envy. (Maybe the roach paying back rent is a conversation still to come.) Erewhon told Curbed that it “immediately took action” and expected the health department to re-inspect soon so that the tonic bar can reopen (hopefully) bug-free. Although Erewhon is known for its inventive ingredients in smoothies, like the colostrum in Sofia Richie’s signature drink, eau d’roach does seem a bit too far for the notorious grocery store. Hopefully, the unwelcome guest got one last taste of the Coconut Cloud on the way out.
—Additional reporting by Matthew Kang
Update: April 10, 2025, 2:50 p.m.: This story has been updated to include an additional statement from Erewhon regarding the reopening of the tonic bar.
Roaches Like Erewhon Smoothies, Too
A whole new set of fans are swarming to get their hands on the $20 Hailey Bieber Strawberry Glaze Skin Erewhon smoothie — roaches. On April 8, 2025, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found a “major” violation at Erewhon’s Santa Monica Wilshire Boulevard location in a recent inspection, as first reported by Curbed; the violation report also populated overnight in a Reddit thread. Erewhon, founded in Boston in 1966, is a health grocery store cum luxury shopping experience known for its celebrity clientele, exorbitantly priced dry goods, organic produce, and some of the best smoothies in Los Angeles. In recent years, collaborations for its $20-plus smoothies have included such well-known folks as Sabrina Carpenter, Lalisa Manobal, and Nara Smith.
Typically, major health code violations of this sort lead to immediate temporary closures of the dining establishment, though other interactions were also listed on the April 8 report. A minor violation involved “Time as a Public Health Control,” which happens when food gets left outside of proper storage or temperature for more than four hours or when a written procedure has not been maintained. Other violations on the report included plumbing, unclean non-food-contact surfaces, and inadequate ventilation or lighting. According to the site, as of Thursday, April 10, the Santa Monica Erewhon location remains open, and the tonic bar was temporarily closed.
In a follow-up statement to Eater LA, a representative from Erewhon wrote that the store “sincerely apologizes” for the lapse in standards and that the health and safety of customers is a “top priority.” The statement also says that the store has weekly visits from pest control, and voluntarily closed the tonic bar after the inspection. As of 2:45 p.m. on April 10, the health department had completed a re-inspection and the tonic bar is open.
Cockroach infestations are nothing new to Los Angeles restaurants. Iconic eateries Casa Vega, 101 Noodle Express, Philippe’s, and Rainbow Bar and Grill were all temporarily shuttered by the health department in the past for vermin problems. Even the “never closed” Original Pantry Cafe was shut down by the health department in 2019 for a cockroach infestation.
In a statement provided to Curbed, Erewhon confirmed that a cockroach had been found in its tonic bar but did not specify how long it had been living a lifestyle that Gwyneth Paltrow would probably envy. (Maybe the roach paying back rent is a conversation still to come.) Erewhon told Curbed that it “immediately took action” and expected the health department to re-inspect soon so that the tonic bar can reopen (hopefully) bug-free. Although Erewhon is known for its inventive ingredients in smoothies, like the colostrum in Sofia Richie’s signature drink, eau d’roach does seem a bit too far for the notorious grocery store. Hopefully, the unwelcome guest got one last taste of the Coconut Cloud on the way out.
—Additional reporting by Matthew Kang
Update: April 10, 2025, 2:50 p.m.: This story has been updated to include an additional statement from Erewhon regarding the reopening of the tonic bar.
