The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health temporarily shut down the tonic bar at Erewhon Market’s Santa Monica location this week after discovering a cockroach infestation, officials confirmed.
The health department cited the high-end grocery store on April 8 for a “major” vermin violation, resulting in the suspension of the facility’s permit and a total inspection score of 84 out of 100 — a “B” grade.
According to the official inspection report, two live German cockroach nymphs were observed inside a cabinet under the Simonelli coffee machine, along with a dead cockroach elsewhere in the facility. Inspectors ordered Erewhon to “eliminate cockroaches and all evidence of cockroaches from the facility.”
The violation report, first noticed by users on Reddit and later reported by Curbed, detailed additional infractions including inadequate ventilation, improper plumbing, unclean surfaces, and improper use of time as a public health control — the latter a minor violation related to food storage or documentation procedures.
Erewhon, a Boston-founded grocery chain known for its upscale selection and celebrity-endorsed smoothies, issued a statement to Eater LA apologizing for the lapse and emphasizing that “the health and safety of customers is a top priority.” The company said it conducts weekly pest control inspections and voluntarily closed the tonic bar after the health department’s findings.
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, an Erewhon spokesperson said, “We deeply regret that a roach was found in our tonic bar,” adding that a full sanitation was carried out. A store employee told the Times that two cockroaches were found in total.
The tonic bar, which serves smoothies, juices, teas, and coffees — including the viral $20 Hailey Bieber Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie — reopened after passing a reinspection on April 10, according to Eater LA.
