Rumors spread fast in a small town. In the age of social media, anything goes.

Earlier this week, Santa Barbara’s social media cognoscenti lost their minds because of a single post by Erewhon, the country’s most expensive grocery store.

The company posted on Instagram that it would be “coming soon” to Santa Barbara.

You thought Paul McCartney had buzz.

The social elite, the haters of the social elite, the bloggers and the social media commentators spread the word.

“Erewhon is coming to Santa Barbara,” they cheered.

Sorry to yuck your yum, but it’s not happening. Like many social media theories, it wasn’t true.

The company quickly updated its post on Instagram to indicate that it would soon be shipping to Santa Barbara. Check out the post below and click on the arrow a few times to see the Santa Barbara tease.

What’s all the fuss? Erewhon apparently makes Gelson’s look like a corner liquor store.

Hailey Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo have smoothies named after them at Erewhon.

A 20-ounce Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie sells for $20, and a 20-ounce Strawberry Probiotic Smoothie costs $22.

A rotisserie chicken is $23. (They must be classier birds than those $5 Costco chickens). To be fair, not everything is that costly. A gallon of Raw Milk Whole is $20.99.

For now, Erewhon will only be shipping to Santa Barbara. There’s been talk that the new Paseo Nuevo development, which includes a grocery store at the corner of State and Ortega streets in Santa Barbara, could be an Erewhon one day.

However, that development is years, if ever, away, and some members of the community have already pushed back against the idea of a luxury, high-end store downtown, saying it would gentrify the area.

Probably not. The people who can afford $6,000 rents downtown probably can splurge on some expensive strawberries — or at the very least, have them delivered from Beverly Hills.

Tondi Gelato Closing

In much more serious news, hideout Tondi Gelato in Santa Barbara is closing Nov. 2, and it may be the first casualty of the planned Paseo Nuevo redevelopment.

The owners posted the news on Instagram.

“We had intended to stay in this place for decades to come, but we chose not to sign the additional 5-year option,” according to the message.

The owners said they were unable to negotiate a new lease that was sustainable for the business and the family.

“Paseo Nuevo and the city of Santa Barbara are planning to redevelop/demolish the mall (or part of it), which understandably may have made a restructuring of our lease unlikely,” they said. “We think Paseo Nuevo will turn out to be amazing, and we wish them the best.”

They said they might reopen in Santa Barbara — or maybe even Italy. They opened five years ago.

“So, what’s next? We don’t know! We will evaluate all of our options, and finally take some time off. (In fact one of the key aspects of our lease is that we are basically never allowed to close. Because we make all of our gelato fresh in the morning, me and Deborah have been grinding 7 day weeks since 2020),” they said.

“All we know is that our hearts are filled with gratitude and that we need a break. Thank you for your support, your kindness, your help, your love, your willingness to give us a try, and for your smiles. We will miss you.

“As I dry my pathetic tears, I just want to say we’re still open for another month so swing on by like you never read this sappy post and let’s enjoy some amazing gelato while we still can! Lastly if you have any outstanding gift cards come and use them up!”

Gracie Ready to Make a Splash

Dudley Michael and Grace Austin of Harbor Club Hospitality have opened the Gracie restaurant at the former Breakwater Cafe at the Santa Barbara Harbor.

“Gracie blends the best of both worlds, combining a dialed-in brunch to dinner experience with an expertly curated bar program,” according to a statement from the company. “Open daily, the restaurant transitions seamlessly throughout the day from sunlit patio brunch to a buzzy happy hour, and finally to a moody dinner escape. With sweeping ocean and mountain views from the patio and an inviting Art Deco-inspired U-shaped bar that lures guests inside, Gracie’s creates an enchanting experience any time of day.”

Executive Chef Richie Maxwell will lead Gracie’s kitchen, overseeing and developing Gracie’s brunch and dinner menu, according to the statement. The restaurant is located at 107 Harbor Way.

Mony’s Goes to School

UCSB has a new restaurant.

Funk Zone restaurant Mony’s Taqueria has moved into the UCen.

The restaurant opened Sept. 22, serving up authentic tacos, burritos and bowls.

Hope Ranch Mansion For Sale

A $59,950,000, six-bedroom, 11-bath mega mansion is for sale in Hope Ranch.

According to the website Homesofcelebs.com, the house is being sold by orthopedic surgeon Michael Behrman and his wife, Sonia.

The couple purchased the bluffside property in 2018, according to the website.

The house is at 4145 Creciente Drive.

The home has three observation areas, private beach access, a chef’s kitchen, a media/gaming room, a gym with a steam room, a wine cellar, a large theater with billiards and cards, a pool and spa, a basketball/tennis court, a park-like playground with in-ground trampoline, and a gated entry.

Check out more details here.