Erewhon Market opens new location in Studio City

Crowds+rush+to+the+newly+opened+Erewhon+Market+on+Ventura+Boulevard+to+purchase+food+and+to+eat+at+their+tables+outside.+

Sandra Koretz/Chronicle

Crowds rush to the newly opened Erewhon Market on Ventura Boulevard to purchase food and to eat at their tables outside.

Davis Marks and Jackson Mayer

Supermarket chain Erewhon Market opened a new location in Studio City on Thursday. Erewhon is the first shop to open in the newly constructed The Shops at Sportsmen’s Lodge complex, which is located at the corner of Coldwater Canyon and Ventura Boulevard.

Erewhon has six locations across Southern California which offer organic and locally sourced foods, as well as foods appealing to vegan, kosher and other alternative diets.

Prefect Council announced a discount to Erewhon for students and faculty as a continuation of their student discount partnerships in an all-school email sent Thursday. After discussions with the store, Prefect Council organized three months of a free Erewhon membership for students and faculty, which gives members 10% off on all purchases. Additionally, Prefect Council notified students that the partnership with Erewhon may be extended if enough students shop there.

Junior Prefect Aiko Offner ’23 said Prefect Council organized the Erewhon discount to benefit both the Studio City community and schooland to provide students and faculty with another lunch or after school snack option.

“Prefect Council is really excited about student discounts because we know [the discounts] benefit our community and hopefully the greater Studio City community as well,” Offner said. “We thought Erewhon would be a complete stretch, but we’re so glad they agreed [to provide a discount], as we think it is an amazing option for students.”

Studio City resident and The Buckley School senior Eliana Stanford said she believes the new Erewhon location will benefit the Studio City community. However, she said she will continue to primarily shop at other markets.

“Living in Studio City my whole life, it is very cool to see how the area is evolving, and I think the introduction of Erewhon and other luxury stores will continue to put it on the map,” Stanford said. “I think it will benefit the community by attracting more young people who are drawn in by Erewhon’s clean eating and organic initiatives, [but] I think I will continue to do my major grocery shopping [at Ralph’s].”

Makenna Dovel ’23, who shopped at Erewhon on its opening day, said she is excited about the new location but only plans to buy food there occasionally.

“The close proximity of the new Erewhon from our school is a double-edged sword,” Dovel said. “On the one hand, the food is high-quality, tasty, and healthy. However, with these benefits comes a price; everything is super overpriced. I definitely plan on going back in the future, but only on occasion. I do not think shopping there for groceries is the smartest option for me personally.”