Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump is closing her namesake restaurant, but landlords are refuting her reasoning for closing the doors.
The restaurant posted an update to their Instagram page making the announcement:
The announcement outlines what they call a ‘huge increase’ in rent, announcing they are opening two more establishments in Sin City.
But according to the landlord, LVP isn’t being completely honest. The landlord provided a written statement that read:
“Lisa’s comments regarding the rent for Pump are not accurate. We did not raise the rent and in fact have been nothing but supportive as they tried to catch up on lease obligations including forgiving some rent during Covid.”
Eek. As one of the most famous restaurateurs in West Hollywood, this isn’t a good look for her. It also doesn’t help her that the closure announcement comes just two months after liquor licenses had been suspended at both Pump and TomTom, the restaurant she owns with the star of the Scandoval debacle, Tom Sandoval.
According to PEOPLE, the temporary license suspension was implemented despite being valid for at least another month and a half, which fuelled speculations it had to do with money. The restaurant posted signage that blamed heavy rains for an abnormal Saturday and Sunday closure. Anyone that knows the hospitality industry (or who has watched at least one episode of Vanderpump Rules) knows that Saturdays and Sundays are not the days you want to shut down.
The announcement of two new establishments in Sin City isn’t shocking. Lisa and her husband, Ken, already own Vanderpump a Paris, and Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in Vegas. But it does beg the question of what this means for her reputation as one of the top restaurateurs in WeHo.
As restaurants began reopening after the height of the pandemic, Lisa announced the closure of another restaurant, Villa Blanca, after more than a decade. Again, she blamed it on lease renegotiations, suggesting it may move to another location.
If Lisa is, in fact, sticking it to the man about the cost of the leases, I applaud her. It’s brave and it’s noble and she’s certainly got the financial and social capital to make her point. But if it’s that she’s looking to establish more of a presence in Vegas, that leaves her at a bit of a crossroads.
With all the drama that’s followed the Vanderpump Rules cast, I can’t blame her for wanting to take flight. And perhaps with one of the biggest LGBTQ+ hot spots in WeHo and one of the biggest LGBTQ+ icons in the city gaining some distance, there’s room for Lance Bass to step in.
A few years ago, he signed on as the co-owner of Rocco’s just doors away from Pump. In 2021, he placed all his bets on nightlife coming back with a vengeance after the pandemic, announcing the opening of a new nightclub. He signed his name on the dotted line to occupy 8911 Santa Monica Blvd., the home of popular LGBTQ+ hotspot Rage for four decades.
Pump’s absence will definitely be felt – particularly during Pride, which the restaurant insists it will remain open for this year. As for what happens after, let’s hope Rocco’s sur-ves up the same quality.
