Erewhon, the luxury California grocery chain known for its $22 smoothies, is facing legal action over unpaid rent at its Culver City store. Landlord Hackman Capital Partners has filed a breach-of-lease complaint in Superior Court, claiming the grocer owes more than $275,000 in back rent and legal fees.
The lawsuit alleges Erewhon has fallen behind on its $85,000-a-month rent, with additional maintenance charges, taxes, and other fees pushing the monthly property bill to over $100,000 for that location alone. Real estate consultant David Greensfelder estimated that Erewhon would need to gross more than $1 million a week to cover the rent, stating: 'Erewhon could be doing fabulously and still not be doing $1 million in sales a week.'
This is not the first rent dispute for Erewhon. The chain's landlord in Studio City previously claimed it fell behind on rent there, while Erewhon accused that landlord of improperly increasing rent. Founded in 1966, Erewhon operates several stores in affluent Southern California neighbourhoods and is famous for its celebrity-endorsed smoothies and high-priced items such as $19 Japanese strawberries and $40 sea moss shells.
The Independent has contacted both Erewhon and Hackman Capital Partners for comment.
