Lisa Vanderpump has a growing restaurant empire on Vanderpump Rules, with eateries located in major cities such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Lisa Vanderpump has significantly grown her restaurant empire over the years, as seen on Vanderpump Rules and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and has no intentions of stopping anytime soon. She has owned over 30 restaurants across the world, choosing locations in major cities such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but there are six main eateries that the Bravo shows have focused on. With impeccable interior design and unique menu options, the restaurateur and her team's main goal is to make sure the customers have a dining experience that is top-notch.
Opening and maintaining a restaurant isn't an easy job, and thankfully, Lisa doesn't have to do it alone. Her iconic team includes her husband Ken Todd and their design partner, Nick Alain. On both Vanderpump Rules and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, viewers have been able to see the endless time and effort Lisa and her team put into each of their restaurants. Whether they're shopping for decor or picking out new menu options, they will stop at nothing to make sure their restaurants are the best in the area.
Villa Blanca made its debut in Beverly Hills, California in 2008, and mostly featured Mediterranean and Italian cuisine on its menu. On RHOBH season 1, Lisa went to lunch with Kyle Richards and Taylor Armstrong at the restaurant, which was decked out in all-white. She also hosted a party there in RHOBH season 3. Vanderpump Rules stars Scheana Shay, Tom Sandoval, and Ariana Madix all met at Villa Blanca and used to work there before they went to SUR. In 2020, Villa Blanca sadly closed during the COVID-19 pandemic after 12 years, just months after a car crashed into the restaurant.
SUR first opened in 1998 and was originally owned by Lisa's friend, Guillermo Zapato. A few years later, Lisa and Ken came on board and expanded the West Hollywood space to make it bigger, allowing it to have both a restaurant and lounge area. The name SUR appropriately stands for "Sexy Unique Restaurant" and became the inspiration for the RHOBH spinoff, Vanderpump Rules. Brandi Glanville and Scheana had a one-on-one conversation at SUR on RHOBH that seamlessly went into the first episode of Vanderpump Rules.
The entire Vanderpump Rules cast worked at SUR at one point in their lives. Scheana, Stassi Schroeder, Katie Maloney, Kristen Doute, Brittany Cartwright, and Raquel Leviss were all servers there. Jax Taylor, Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz, and Ariana worked as bartenders, while Lala Kent was a hostess. James Kennedy started as a busboy who eventually became the restaurant's resident DJ, and hosts a weekly "See You Next Tuesday" event. The Vanderpump Rules cast members have moved on from SUR and no longer work there, except Peter Madrigal, who is the manager. Lisa's former employees always love to visit her and order the infamous goat cheese balls from the menu.
In 2014, Lisa Vanderpump opened another restaurant called PUMP, which was right down the street from SUR in West Hollywood. Like Lisa's other restaurants, PUMP was beautifully decorated with diamond chandeliers and ornate flowers. The cuisine at the restaurant included cocktails, wine, and a brunch and dinner menu, along with a separate happy hour menu featuring specialty drinks and select food options. After 10 years, PUMP officially closed its doors on July 5, 2023, following rumors that Lisa and Ken were in financial trouble.
Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz were the inspirations for one of Lisa's newest restaurants, TomTom. Lisa was impressed with the Toms as bartenders, and asked them to partner with her on a new establishment. The West Hollywood hotspot opened in 2018, and has whimsical decor including clocks and diamond light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. TomTom stands out from other restaurants for its original, innovative signature cocktails created by the Toms themselves. Some drinks are even named after Vanderpump Rules cast members such as Brittany's "Kentucky Muffin," Lisa's "Clockwork Pink," and the "Tom Fashioned" for both Toms. The Toms opened another restaurant called Schwartz & Sandy's without Lisa's help.
Vanderpump Cocktail Garden is one of the first restaurants Lisa and her team opened in Las Vegas. The eatery is located in the famous Caesars Palace resort, and opened to the public in March 2019. With its elegant lighting and floral decorations throughout the restaurant, this is the go-to place to eat when visiting Las Vegas. The eclectic menu features hand-crafted cocktails, light bites, and Lisa's iconic wine brand, Vanderpump Rosé. Lisa used her British humor by giving the drinks served at Vanderpump Cocktail Garden hilarious names like "The English Garden" and "Hanky Panky."
Lisa wanted to transport her customers from Las Vegas to Paris with her most recent restaurant, Vanderpump à Paris, also located in Caesars Palace. The fancy Parisian eatery Lisa created opened in 2022 and makes guests feel like they're in the City of Lights by serving authentic French cuisine. On Vanderpump Rules season 10, Lisa invited Katie, Scheana, Lala, Raquel, Kristina Kelly, and Katie's mom Teri Maloney to dine at the restaurant with her. RHOBH star Garcelle Beauvais' son Oliver Saunders is a waiter at Vanderpump à Paris, and Raquel famously flirted with him while he was taking their order, even though he was still married.
Lisa treats all of her restaurants like her children and spends a lot of time perfecting them, so her guests can feel like they're whisked away into another world. Between the bright elegance of Villa Blanca, the sultry tones of SUR on Vanderpump Rules, the fun vibe of PUMP, the whimsical decor and drinks at TomTom, the floral surroundings of Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, and the Parisian re-creation at Vanderpump à Paris, each restaurant is unique in its own way. Since many of these high-end eateries have now become tourist attractions, anyone who has the opportunity to dine there is very lucky.
Erica Handel is a Reality TV Editor at Screen Rant and started as a Reality TV Features Writer in July 2021. She loves watching her favorite reality TV shows and writing about them. In 2015, Erica received her degree in Communication emphasizing in Media and Journalism from the University of Hartford.