Streetview of 120 Leroy Street. © Google
Erewhon, the cult-favorite upscale Los Angeles grocery chain, is coming to New York City. But the market, known for celebrity-endorsed smoothies and $30 ice cubes, will be harder to access than the West Coast locations. As first spotted by Emily Sundberg’s Feed Me newsletter, Erewhon will open within a private padel club being developed in the West Village by Kith founder Ronnie Fieg. On Monday, Fieg shared an Instagram post showing a blueprint for the club on the 9th floor of 120 Leroy Street, revealing plans for padel courts, a restaurant, spa amenities, and a mini Erewhon. Access to the shop will be limited to members of the club; membership will cost $36,000 in initiation fees and $7,000 in annual dues, according to Feed Me.
The project includes reconstructing the old roof and adding three professional padel courts covered by weather-resistant and air-conditioned tents. The 9th floor has been converted from former office space into a restaurant, gym, juice bar, and high-end spa.
Since first announced last year, Fieg’s project has sparked controversy, with residents petitioning in March against a liquor license over concerns about “bullet-style” noise, privacy, traffic, and loitering.
In May 2024, Fieg filed an application with the city to open the club, partnering with the Cayre family’s Midtown Equities and the owners of Cafe Mogador, according to Feed Me.
The application had described a private members club with a spa, restaurant, and rooftop lounge featuring background music and DJs on the roof and ninth floor. According to The Real Deal, the club would operate daily from 7 a.m. to midnight, admit non-members for a $50 fee, and host up to 20 private parties a year.
Residents quickly pushed back, and that month, Manhattan Community Board 2 voted 33–1 to oppose the project, urging the State Liquor Authority (SLA) to deny the license application. However, the board’s vote was not a mandate, and the developer’s application continued its way through the approval process. That June, two state legislators, whose districts include 120 Leroy, wrote a letter to the SLA urging them to deny the liquor license.
Despite opposition from residents and elected officials, a judge in August sided with the applicants, ruling the proposal met the public interest burden and recommended that the SLA grant the license. Because the project is located near other establishments that serve alcohol, it falls under the 500 Foot Law, requiring the SLA to decide whether granting the license is in the “public interest.”
At a January 2025 hearing on the license, community members again opposed the project, with SLA Chair Lily Fan ordering the developers to meet privately with residents to reach a resolution.
A February meeting between the two sides ended without an agreement. The authority then denied a temporary permit for the premises and ordered the project team to amend the application.
In March, about 30 residents rallied against the proposal at an SLA meeting, holding signs reading “No Rooftop Restaurant” and “No Private Padel.” They argued the project would bring excessive noise, traffic, and congestion to the largely residential neighborhood.
At the time, the project’s architect claimed developers had already invested $7 million and that construction was halfway complete, with completion expected in September or October 2025. It’s unclear what the total price would be, but DOB filings indicate that preliminary construction and plumbing work alone would cost $1.6 million, the New York Post reported.
The developers were sent back to the drawing board and told to submit a new proposal without a rooftop component—an element their attorney, Donald Bernstein, argued zoning would not allow anyway. They have since revised the plan to make the rooftop an extension of the restaurant and agreed not to play background music, now seeking a license only for the floor below.
Erewhon first opened in Boston in the 1960s by Aveline and Michio Kushi as a market for high-quality natural goods. The small shop later relocated to Los Angeles, where it gained a cult following and has since grown to 11 locations.
Tony Antoci, CEO of Erewhon, told Curbed in December 2021 that a New York expansion was “definitely on the plate,” but the company would first focus on its expansion throughout LA, where three new outposts are currently on the way.
Kith is debuting its luxury padel brand and club Kith Ivy this week with pop-up courts in Grand Central. Guests can book 60-minute slots to play and gain early access to the first Kith Ivy collection. The experience runs from September 2 through September 10.
RELATED:
