It seems like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills spinoff Vanderpump Rules has more drama than any other reality show. From the very first episode, it was clear that working at Lisa Vanderpump's SUR meant dealing with big personalities. And when viewers discovered that Tom Sandoval had an affair with Raquel Leviss, which devastated his girlfriend of nine years Ariana Madix, it became one of the most talked about scandals in reality TV history.
Sandoval's actions also upset his good friend and business partner Tom Schwartz. The pair own the restaurant/bar Schwartz and Sandy's, which is located in Franklin Village, Los Angeles. Now that the Vanderpump Rules cast is picking up the pieces of the affair, Schwartz and Sandy's is getting bad reviews online. But did people actually like the restaurant before everything went down?
Vanderpump Rules Stars Tom Schwartz And Tom Sandoval Started Schwartz And Sandy’s In 2022
Before the scandal, Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval seemed really proud of their restaurant. It's a huge deal to go through the process of finding a space, signing a lease, hiring employees, figuring out a menu concept, and finally, allowing customers to come in.
Opening Schwartz and Sandy's was tough for the reality stars. But it seemed to be a dream for both Vanderpump Rules cast members. After all, they had been working in the restaurant business for a long time, and they wanted something that they could focus on.
According to Heavy.com, Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval were hoping to open Schwartz And Sandy's in July 2022. A little while before that, they had an opening gathering for their friends.
Heavy.com reported that Vanderpump Rules cast members Raquel Leviss, Scheana Shay, Katie Maloney, Lala Kent, Ariana Madix, and Lisa Vanderpunmp were there.
The restaurant ended up opening in November 2022, according to a post from Schwartz and Sandy's Instagram.
The menu includes some indulgent dishes, like a brown butter strawberry Schwartz cake. The restaurant also makes Tahini Caesar Salad and Lobster Corndogs.
In June 2023, Schwartz said he wasn't talking to Sandoval, and that he felt the impact of the scandal on their restaurant.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Schwartz discussed the challenging situation on the podcast When Reality Hits With Jax and Brittany.
He opened up to Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor, who used to be his Vanderpump Rules co-stars. And he said that he was "taking a break from Tom right now. I haven't seen him in a while." He also said, "He made a big mess. And then, you know, he left it for us to clean up back at the businesses. And it's hard for me not to be resentful of him."
How Did People Feel About Schwartz And Sandy’s Prior To The Vanderpump Rules Scandal?
After the Vanderpump Rules scandal came out, Schwartz and Sandy's began getting bad online reviews. There is a pop-up on the restaurant's Yelp page that reads "Unusual Activity Alert" and says that no new comments can be posted. The notice says, "This business recently received increased public attention, which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news. "
The reviews posted before the scandal were mostly positive. In January 2023, a customer posted on Yelp, "epic!! great food, super tasty, very well done. hope to make it a regular."
A good review from November 2022 praised the lobster corndogs and unique cocktails. The customer wrote, "Fun, friendly vibe with none of the pretentiousness you'd expect from a "celeb-run" establishment."
Another review said that the burger is delicious and that Tom Schwartz chatted with customers. The reviewer wrote, "He is one of the kindest and most humble people."
It seems like many Vanderpump Rules would visit Schwartz and Sandy's and hope to catch a glimpse of Schwartz and Sandoval. After all, it's cool to eat and drink at a place owned by favorite reality stars. But now that the Vanderpump Rules scandal has been making waves for months now, people aren't sure how to feel.
But while there were many happy customers who enjoyed dining at Schwartz and Sandy's, some felt that the atmosphere wasn't great. There are many Yelp reviews calling it "dead" and saying that there were no other people at the bar. One review said the bartender was "slow and unfriendly" and the espresso cocktail wasn't great. They wrote, "Save your $$ and stick to Pump to feel the Vanderpump Rules vibes."
Some former customers felt that the restaurant seems more exciting and beautiful on TV than in real life. Customers discussed Schwartz and Sandy's in a Reddit thread called "Something about Schwartz & Sandy's seems really off."
One Redditor wrote, "There’s definitely some Hollywood magic going into the restaurant’s look on the show. On google street view it’s in a little strip mall with a dog groomer, a dry cleaner, and a pizza delivery."
Another Redditor said it "felt unfinished" and "the vibe is off." They noted that while it was 10 p.m. on a Friday evening, the kitchen was closed, and the menu didn't have enough food items on it.
Another general complaint that customers have? The Schwartz and Sandy's website looks the same way that it always has. It's true that it doesn't include a menu, and that would definitely be a nice touch.
While Schwartz and Sandy's is still operating, it's possible that things will get trickier if Sandoval and Schwartz continue to not talk to each other.
After the scandal broke, Sandoval posted a message on Instagram. He said, “Schwartz specifically only found out about this very recently, and most definitely did not condone my actions. This was a very personal thing."
Sandoval continued, "there are 3 other partners and 20 employees, who especially rely on the restaurant for income for them and their families. Just like TomTom, I'm a small part of a much bigger thing. Please direct ur anger toward me and not them."
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