Erewhon has survived the wildfires — and is offering a new smoothie as part of the relief effort.
Proceeds from the “LA Strong” smoothie, which contains biodynamic cacao and reishi mushrooms, will be donated to aid organizations helping the communities of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena fires.
All 10 locations of the luxury health food chain, which over the past decade has become an aspirational symbol of L.A. living, have emerged from the disaster unscathed. That includes the Pasadena location, five miles from devastated Altadena, and, miraculously, the Pacific Palisades location, which opened in 2019 in the Palisades Village.
The shopping complex withstood the firestorm because its owner, billionaire developer Rick Caruso, hired private firefighters from Arizona to protect it.
“We’re especially grateful that the Palisades location pulled through, thanks to Caruso,” says Alec Antochi, Erewhon’s vp of brand marketing. “At the moment, we’re temporarily closed until power is restored and we can safely return to the village.”
Antoci says the rest of the locations are fully operational and “most of our employees are safe,” but that some have been impacted by the fires.
Firefighters and police are being offered a daily $20 credit, “Allowing them to pick up whatever they need.” Anyone else impacted by the fires is being offered a free, three-month membership that offers discounts on groceries and a free monthly smoothie.
The company is also seeking suggestions for charities currently accepting shelf-stable groceries. “We have a significant amount of product we’d love to donate, but many groups we’ve contacted aren’t in immediate need,” says Antoci, who welcomes suggestions from the public sent to [email protected].
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