From Los Angeles to New York and beyond, a new generation of markets is blending natural foods, design, hospitality and buzz, often at elevated price points.

While the grocer has several locations across Los Angeles, its Beverly Hills outpost is the biggest scene and a tourist attraction in its own right, drawing visitors who make a point of stopping in to see what the hype is about.

Its roots go back to 1966, when Michio and Aveline Kushi, early proponents of the macrobiotic and natural-foods movement, founded the market in Boston before expanding to L.A. in 1969. The Erewhon shoppers know today took shape after Tony and Josephine Antoci acquired its remaining Beverly Boulevard store in 2011, giving the concept an L.A. spin with pristine merchandising, picture-perfect produce, gluten-free and wellness-focused products, prepared foods — with premium prices to match — and a smoothie bar that became a destination. Hailey Bieber’s viral $21 Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie helped push the market even further into pop culture.

California, meanwhile, has had a natural-food culture for decades, particularly in the Bay Area. In 1965, Fred Rohé took over San Francisco’s Sunset Health Foods, an early natural-food retailer, while Berkeley Bowl, which opened in 1977, became an institution for its expansive produce selection and mix of natural and hard-to-find foods.

A. and New York to cities around the world.

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