Erewhon Santa Monica Shuttered by LA Health Department for Cockroach Infestation

Typically, major health code violations of this sort lead to immediate temporary closures of the dining establishment, though other interactions were also listed on this report dated April 8, 2025. A minor violation involved “Time as a Public Health Control,” which happens when food gets left outside of proper storage or temperature for more than four hours or when a written procedure has not been maintained. Other violations on the report included plumbing, unclean non-food-contact surfaces, and inadequate ventilation or lighting. According to the site, as of Thursday, April 10, the Santa Monica Erewhon location remains open, and the tonic bar was temporarily closed.

In a follow-up statement to Eater LA, a representative from Erewhon wrote that the store “sincerely apologizes” for the lapse in standards and that the health and safety of customers is a “top priority.” The statement also says that the store has weekly visits from pest control, and voluntarily closed the tonic bar after the inspection. As of 2:45 p.m. on April 10, the health department had completed a reinspection and the tonic bar is open.

Cockroach infestations are nothing new to Los Angeles restaurants. Iconic ies Casa Vega, 101 Noodle Express, Philippe’s, and Rainbow Bar and Grill were all temporarily shuttered by the health department in the past for vermin problems. Even the “never closed” Original Pantry Cafe was shut down by the health department in 2019 for a cockroach infestation.

In a statement provided to Curbed, Erewhon confirmed that a cockroach had been found in its tonic bar but did not specify how long it had been living a lifestyle that Gwyneth Paltrow would probably envy. (Maybe the roach paying back rent is a conversation still to come.) Erewhon told Curbed that it “immediately took action” and expected the health department to re-inspect soon so that the tonic bar can reopen (hopefully) bug-free. Although Erewhon is known for its inventive ingredients in smoothies, like the colostrum in Sofia Richie’s signature drink, eau d’roach does seem a bit too far for the notorious grocery store. Hopefully, the unwelcome guest got one last taste of the Coconut Cloud on the way out.

—Additional reporting by Matthew Kang

Updated April 10, 2025 at 2:50 p.m.: This story has been updated to include an additional statement from Erewhon regarding the reopening of the tonic bar.