Erewhon to open its first Orange County location

Luxe grocery chain Erewhon is inching closer to planting its organic-food flag in Orange County.

The market known for its eye-watering smoothie prices and viral wellness concoctions is moving ahead with plans for a new store in Costa Mesa, according to its website.

The new spot would mark a major expansion for the LA-based chain, which has become synonymous with opulent wellness culture, attracting everyone from influencers and TikTok creators to A-list celebs looking to indulge in $20 smoothies and premium organic groceries.

At 20,000-square-feet, OC outpost marks the largest location and will take over a warehouse space at 140 East 17th Street, which is currently occupied by a t-shirt store.

Erewhon has spent the past few years aggressively expanding beyond its original LA strongholds, opening splashy new outposts in places like Beverly Hills, inside LACMA, Pasadena, West Hollywood and more. Now, Orange County is next.

For Costa Mesa residents, the arrival of Erewhon could mean an influx of affluent shoppers, content creators, and wellness devotees flocking to the city for its latest trendy hotspot. While the aspirational grocer has long been a staple of the Los Angeles scene, this expansion marks a major play for the Orange County elite.

It is slated to open in September 2027.

Online, people reacted with a mix of excitement and horror.

“Beyond the headlines about $20 smoothies and $15 eggs, this is actually a pretty interesting signal for where parts of Orange County are heading economically and culturally,” Krys Benyamein, an LA and OC real estate agent posted on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Reddit users turned the news of the opening into a culture war between LA and OC lifestyles.

“Don’t LA my OC,” one user groaned while another called Erewhon “mid tier products for sky high prices.”

The store joins a growing list of new sites for the brand, which started in the 1960’s as a niche health food store and has grown into a cultural phenomenon with 12 current locations and five more (including Costa Mesa) on the way.