A branch of Erewhon, the elite Los Angeles supermarket known for its $19 single strawberry and its celebrity connections, was ordered to shut down its smoothie bar over a ‘cockroach infestation’ according to health agency filings.
The Santa Monica outlet, where Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner have developed their own smoothies was closed on Tuesday according to LA County Public Health records.
The agency says the store on Wilshire Boulevard, one of 10 in the chain of ritzy grocery stores around LA, had a ‘vermin infestation’ resulting in a ‘major’ violation of codes against ‘rodents, insects, birds, or animals’.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Erewhon admitted that ‘a roach was found in our tonic bar’, adding that they ‘sincerely apologize for this lapse in our standards’.
Other violations listed by LA Public Health include issues over ‘procedures & records’ at the store, keeping ‘nonfood-contact surfaces clean and in good repair’, plumbing issues, and maintaining ‘adequate ventilation and lighting’.
The store was designated ‘high risk’ as it also has a restaurant area where customers eat.
However, Erewhon Santa Monica was open on Thursday morning, and a store worker told DailyMail.com that it had been open all week.
‘Upon receiving the report, we immediately took action by voluntarily closing the tonic bar to conduct a thorough sanitation process,’ a spokesperson said in a statement to DailyMail.com.
‘These measures have already been addressed, and we anticipate completing them by noon today. We will reopen the tonic bar once we are confident that all concerns have been fully resolved.
‘We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and safety, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure it does not recur.’
The spokesperson said Erewhon has ‘weekly visits’ from a pest control company and weekly inspections from a ‘third-party food safety facilities consultant’.
Erewhon has become infamous for its high-priced products, sold to wealthy Angelenos with the understanding that they were getting the best of the best.
It went viral for selling a single strawberry flown in from Japan for $19. Demi Lovato decided to splurge.
‘Apparently, you’re supposed to smell it,’ she narrated on video before taking a whiff and confirming, ‘Smells like a strawberry.’
The songstress took a big bite before rating it an 8 out of 10. ‘It’s not tart at all, which I like; I don’t like tart strawberries. But it’s not that sweet,’ she reported before shrugging, ‘Oh, well! Just wasted $20.’
It has a line of smoothies promoted by A-list celebrities, including Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie, Olivia Rodrigo’s Good 4 Ur GUTS, Bella Hadid’s Kinsicle, and Kendall Jenner’s Peaches & Cream.
But one Reddit user who said they work in the environmental health field, said they had concerns about the store’s practices.
‘I work in retail Food Safety and I don’t need to say how bad this is,’ user Waffulz4026 wrote about the Santa Monica branch rodent infestation on Wednesday.
‘Ongoing vermin and pest control should be at the top of the list for a grocery chain, especially one as upscale and all about quality as Erewhon.
‘Many pests, like cockroaches, like to lay their eggs in cardboard (especially if it is damp) and grocers get a majority of their produce shipped in exactly this.’
The user claimed Erewhon had been ‘looking to hire a food safety manager for months’ but did not respond to a well-qualified application.
‘I’ve applied 5 weeks ago, am very qualified, wrote a super nice cover letter, and no one has even replied to my application,’ the Redditor said.
‘So no wonder things are slipping. There is clearly a lack of proper management to help uphold standards and train team members correctly.’
An advert for an Erewhon ‘Food Safety Quality Manager’ in Los Angeles, posted on job site ZipRecruiter on January 27, appears to still be active, and is also currently listed on Erewhon’s own website.
The Santa Monica branch has previously been investigated by Public Health over complaints they let dogs in the store.
In March last year a public health inspector showed up at the store and saw a dog among the groceries.
But the pet owner at the elite supermarket said it was a ‘psychiatric assistance dog tasked with supporting the patron with depression and during episodes of anxiety’, and the inspector said ‘no further action’ was needed.
Another complaint received by Public Health in January last year said: ‘Every time I shop at Erewhon, there are always at least 4 non-service dogs (large and small), inside the store with their owners. I’ve seen multiple fights between smaller dogs, near the bakery’.
Managers told the county inspector that they trained staff to ask if dogs in the store were disability service animals.