LISA Vanderpump’s Los Angeles bar, TomTom, will “definitely be open by May 1st” after more than a year of closure, The Sun can exclusively reveal.
Last month, rumors ran rampant that the Bravo hotspot co-owned by Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval would shut down permanently due to financial issues following pandemic closures.
However, manager Richardson Cherry confirmed that the West Hollywood establishment is on its way to reopening its door with some big changes.
“We are definitely opening May 1st. Most likely way before,” the longtime staffer and personal friend of Lisa told The Sun with a winking face.
He explained: “Slow and steady wins the race. But cleaning a years worth of dust and such is a process. It's a lot to clean, it’s been a full year!
“We are working around the clock to get TomTom ready. I met with Both Ken and Lisa.
"Even Lisa was cleaning! I love how she participates in everything.”
Richardson – who is also an actor and producer – said that Lisa’s husband, Ken Todd, “has been trying to find other areas in his businesses to find work for [staffers], so we can start working again.”
Once the upscale eatery and bar reopens, there will be “lots of new changes” including some to the menu, he promised.
In addition to “stronger, tastier new drinks,” the restaurant will also be getting a facelift.
“Now our patio is going to be amazing really, before it was a bit small, but now it’s going to get a makeover, I’m excited about it.
“We’re meeting with all of the staff on Thursday and we are hiring,” Richardson – who also runs non-profit Project Elev8 – said.
If anyone’s interested in applying, they can reach out to [email protected] or [email protected].
Fans feared that the West Hollywood lounge featured on Vanderpump Rules locked its doors for good as Google has it marked “permanently closed.”
In addition to Google alerting customers that TomTom is “permanently closed,” the phone number listed for the hotspot has been disconnected.
Surrounding businesses have also been reopened for months – fueling rumors even more however, The Sun previously revealed that TomTom would “absolutely” reopen.
Last month, Richardson told The Sun: “It’s more so about being safe than profit.
“Profit matters but if everyone is sick it’s not good. When we can accommodate more people it will be easier as the inside of TomTom is not super huge.”
Currently, Los Angeles County will allow indoor dining at 25% capacity in addition to outdoor seating.
Although they could legally allow customers back in now, Richardson claims strict Covid precautions are to blame for the delayed opening.
He explained: “None of us knew what was going to happen with Covid so none of us knew when we would open so we waited until the state said it was okay.
“But Lisa and everyone is taking Covid precautions very seriously.”
The bar & lounge has not posted any public updates since March 2020 – when restaurants in California first began to close due to the pandemic.
Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills alum Lisa, 60, opened up the high-end cocktail bar in 2018 with VPR co-stars turned business partners Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz.
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