Actions have consequences. That is a hard lesson that Tom Sandoval is learning due to his decision to have a months-long affair with Vanderpump Rules co-star, Raquel Leviss. For most, being caught cheating would mean losing relationships and finding a new place to live. With Sandoval being in the public eye, the consequences are also financial. And not only are they posed to affect the reality star's bottom line, but it is also very possible that the backlash will affect someone who has supported Sandoval since before Vanderpump Rules came about. That person is Lisa Vanderpump.
Between her successful restaurant businesses over the past several decades and her time on reality television, Vanderpump has been able to amass a hefty fortune. This business savvy has allowed Vanderpump to lead trends in the Los Angeles restaurant and bar scene, helping her to add to her business portfolio. And by partnering with Tom Schwartz and Sandoval in 2018, Vanderpump created yet another popular and trendy hangout, TomTom.
The Vanderpump Rules following that brought patrons to the establishment and helped its success is the same following that may just bring TomTom under. If this happens, given that Vanderpump is a controlling interest partner in the restaurant and bar, it is possible that she will incur quite a loss.
Here is information on whether Lisa Vanderpump is losing money because of the cheating scandal.
TomTom Received Threats Because Of Tom Sandoval's Cheating
In early March 2023, news broke that Sandoval had been cheating on his long-time girlfriend, Ariana Madix with their mutual friend, Leviss. Not only was it cheating, but it was reportedly a full-blown, months-long affair. This enraged Vanderpump Rules fans who had been invested in Madix and Sandoval's relationship over the past nine years. So much so, that fans took to Yelp to try to shut down TomTom for Sandoval's indiscretions.
"Can someone throw a can of paint on the Toms' kissing portrait please and thank you," one Yelp reviewer wrote. "Lisa please kick them to the curb."
The commenting got so out of control that Yelp had to put up an "Unusual Activity Alert" disclaimer and has shut down the ability to comment on TomTom for the time being.
While there is the school of thought that any press is good press, when it comes to the restaurant business, this does not hold true.
As such, with the smattering of other bad reviews that TomTom received before the scandal along with these new ones that have dragged the ratings of the restaurant and bar well under five stars, Sandoval may have forever tarnished TomTom to a point where it is unable to come back from his selfish behavior.
Lisa Vanderpump's Plans To Buy Out Tom Sandoval From TomTom
Amidst the cheating scandal, Vanderpump was asked outright if she was planning on buying out Sandoval from TomTom in order to try and save the reputation of the restaurant and bar. Many fans of the Bravo show hoped the answer would be "yes."
"Well, you’re gonna see something in the reunion that the dynamic did change," Vanderpump explained. "We haven’t really discussed that. Umm, no. They’re my partners. I’m gonna stick by them, unless they need the money."
However, the SUR restaurant owner did go on to say, "I haven’t really made any decisions about anything."
Before Vanderpump makes any decisions, she likely wants to see how everything plays out over the upcoming months. After the dust settles, it may very well be that TomTom is able to rebound. Because of this, it would be foolish to make any hasty moves when it comes to business.
But, if Sandoval's presence in the bar does prove to be a negative distraction and keeps patrons away, Vanderpump as well as Schwartz may need to consider what is best for the longevity of TomTom. And that may just come down to buying Sandoval out.
What Lisa Vanderpump Will Lose If TomTom Goes Under
When Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, went into business with Sandoval and Schwartz, they footed a large part of the bill when it came to getting TomTom up and running. This is because the two Toms could only afford to put down $50,000 each for a five percent stake in the bar.
As such, if TomTom goes under, it will be the Pump owner who will be losing big given the start-up costs for a restaurant and bar, specifically in West Hollywood.
Given that it costs anywhere from $150,000 to upwards of $500,000 to start up just a bar, a restaurant and bar is much more. It could be upwards of $1 million. And with not only a reputation for aesthetics but the location of TomTom, it is likely that at least that much was put into getting TomTom open.
Not only is there just the physical space, but there is the staff to consider as well with their salaries. This also includes Schwartz and Sandoval if they are taking a salary home versus getting year-end profits from TomTom.
Given that TomTom has only been open since 2018 and it had to close down in 2020 due to the pandemic, it likely has yet to make back all the money invested into it yet. Therefore, were the scandal to slow business to a trickle, that means that Vanderpump and Todd may never recoup their initial investment, let alone a profit from the establishment.
If this is the case, some quick rebranding would need to be done to try and salvage TomTom. Or, instead of trying to right a sinking ship, cutting ties altogether may be the best business decision for the majority shareholders in the trendy restaurant and bar.