We waited in line for the 'Erewhon of New York' and saw the power of TikTok marketing firsthand

We saw evidence of the 2,300-square-foot grocery store before even stepping onto the block, with a clothing store nearby trying to capitalize on the swarm of shoppers taking over Greenwich Street. Several of the shoppers said they lived in the area, but other Tribeca natives had no idea why there were even more trendy 20- and 30-somethings around than usual.

Jackie, who said she's lived in the neighborhood for 45 years, asked us why everyone was in line.

"I think it's just going to be a store," like any other grocery store, she said after we explained, evidently a little bit confused. She's seen many versions of this type of store pop up in the neighborhood, and many versions of failure, but said this level of hype was unique.

Content creators, students taking advantage of a break between classes, and people taking a liberal approach to remote work dotted the line.

"I love cosplaying being unemployed with everyone on this line. Everyone is just like, 'We don't know what a job is,'" said Rebecca Scheider, 28, who works from home on Friday.

But others, like a 26-year-old customer who spoke to us, didn't even try to fold the Meadow Lane opening into their workday: "Having to explain to my 50-year-old boss that I'm taking off work to go to a grocery store was really something else."

The security guards said they initially allowed 15 people into the store at a time, but increased that to 17 around 11:30 a.m. and expected the number to rise slowly throughout the day. Nussdorf said in a nearly six-minute TikTok on Wednesday that he was limiting how many items each person could buy, and the guards said shoppers were allowed to fill one wicker basket.

It's not like Meadow Lane is a limited-edition pop-up or sale — it will, presumably, remain open regularly and offer many of the same items each day. And yet people still used their precious time off to walk the aisles on opening day.

"Being one of the first to try something or post about something is always a big deal, because you're somewhat curating what the opinions and visual aspect of it all is," Schneider said.

A 29-year-old customer said she simply didn't feel like waiting another day to figure out if the store is worth its hype.

Many in line had followed Nussdorf on TikTok for months, and said his social media savvy was key to the store's massive popularity before anyone even walked through the door.

"He did a really great job in messaging his journey on opening this store on TikTok," a 41-year-old Google employee said. "It makes you feel like you're a part of the process. I think that was a big deal. He was also very transparent in all the different challenges that came along with opening this store."

The Los Angeles resident said people were also talking about the opening there and comparing it to Erewhon, the high-end grocery chain whose viral smoothies have taken over California.

"I feel like it's the new Erewhon of New York," one customer said.

The line buzzed with talk of the crispiness, price, and availability of the gluten-free chicken nuggets and tenders. Many people we spoke to said those were the first products they planned to buy.

Thankfully, we didn't have to wait until getting in to have our own taste test. After some time, employees came down the line with silver platters of chicken nuggets served with honey mustard and what tasted like a barbecue sauce. (Somehow, the employees didn't have a single crumb or loose piece of gluten-free breading on their double-breasted trench coats.)

Shoppers also talked a lot about the clean ingredients. Nussdorf seems to know his audience well, since a simplified ingredients list marked nearly every item. For the nuggets, he took inspiration from a classic: McDonald's. As he hung outside the entrance, Nussdorf explained that they ground up dark meat and dusted the nuggets in crunchy gluten-free breading, which he made sure to point out didn't taste gluten-free.

"I've been gluten-free for 16 years, and eight months ago I saw him post a video with Meredith from Wishbone Kitchen trying gluten-free chicken tenders," Alexis Decker, 26, said, referencing another food content creator. "Ever since then, I have been subscribed and waiting for this opening."

No one seemed too concerned about the $17 price.

The chicken got mixed reviews. One person said it was "delicious," but an 18- and 19-year-old bundled in Miu Miu and Canada Goose jackets didn't seem too impressed.

"They were fine, everything was fine," the 19-year-old told us over their table of goodies.

As people checked out with their oversize wicker baskets, the totals began to add up. Folks in line were pretty clear about their budgets: for many, it didn't exist.

A few told us they had upper limits, though, like Eve Sorkin, who didn't want to spend more than $70, and a pair who said they didn't plan on spending more than $200 combined.

One half of the pair initially said that she'd be willing to spend "anything," until her friend reminded her that that was unrealistic for a grocery store opening.

Almost no one we saw came out with produce other than some pre-sliced organic mangoes and pineapples. Many walked out with "THE chicken salad," which looked to us like pretty much every other, likely delicious chicken salad. Other popular items included the egg salad, the miso salmon bowl, and a $15 pink juice made with watermelon, coconut, water, strawberries, lime juice, and Himalayan salt.

The Canada Goose-wearing 19-year-old said the juice was "fine," but nothing she'd wait in line again for.

Shoppers began to trickle out of the store with their blue-and-white checkered bags in tow. Some were too eager to wait and showed off their hauls to those still in line, as the limited outdoor seating quickly filled up.

One of the first customers out, a 34-year-old, spent $201.42 on his horde of pre-packaged goods. He picked up dish soap, a salad, nuggets, and more. Although he was happy with his items, Michael told us it was more than he'd expected to pay for groceries.

The 21-year-old who'd waited since 8 a.m. said her grand total was just over $100 as she hurriedly opened her chicken nuggets to try a bite. Our interview recording even picked up the intense crunch of her nuggets.

Another customer showed us a lengthy receipt with more than a dozen items totaling $262, including a $12 turkey chili, a $21 caramelized onion dip, and $14 tortilla chips.

Whether Meadow Lane is "worth it" is, of course, a matter of opinion. But what seemed clear to us is that a well-curated TikTok can make people believe they want, even need, to buy just about anything.

And the allure of being first — and making sure others know you were first — is as powerful as ever.