Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz announce Schwartz and Sandy's is CLOSING after they spent $1M on bar
- Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected]
Just two years after officially opening, Schwartz & Sandy's is now closing.
Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz announced the end of their Los Angeles restaurant in separate statements posted to their social media accounts on Monday.
The restaurant will be closing at the end of this year after a turbulent start, with both Sandoval, 42, and Schwartz, 42, making no secret of just how difficult it was for them to launch the restaurant.
The reality stars poured over a million dollars into the making of it, and last year the business faced backlash following Sandoval's affair with Rachel Leviss.
'With a heavy heart, we've made the difficult decision to close Schwartz & Sandy's at the end of December,' Sandoval's statement began.
'This hasn't been an easy choice for my partners and me, but other priorities and commitments have taken hold. While this business venture has been an incredible stepping stone in my life, one I will always cherish, I look forward to exciting new endeavors.
Just two years after officially opening, Schwartz & Sandy's is now closing
Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz announced the end of their Franklin Village restaurant in separate statements posted to their social media accounts on Monday
The duo had not been shy about just how difficult it was to open the restaurant
'To our incredible staff and everyone who supported us along the way, you deserve the true recognition. I can't thank you enough for your endless commitment to making Schwartz & Sandy's a place of everlasting memories.
'We'll be hosting a series of events and have availability to host others leading up to our closing night. The allure of being associated with reality TV has hidden what is an amazing spot and location for LA locals as well. I highly recommend you check us out, especially if you haven't yet. Let's get together one last time.'
In his own statement, Schwartz described the difficult decision to shut down the restaurant and noted he felt 'some peace' knowing he gave the business his 'absolutely all.'
'There's no easy to way to say this but after careful consideration, Greg, Tom and I made the decision to close Schwartz & Sandy's by the end of the year. This was not an easy conclusion. So this is our farewell tour.
'Let Tom & I host your holiday parties, birthdays, even a funeral for your lizard (rip Daug) It's a celebration so many of us working here have poured our hearts into over the last few years.
'Let's end this era on a high note and come on by, bring your friends, toast to the upcoming holidays and let's manifest together a kick a** New Year. There's some peace in knowing I gave my absolute all into S&S, fully committed with every fiber in my being.
'To all the patrons who came in & supported us, showed me love every single night I was there, you kept me going through some of the harder times. We got to celebrate so many meaningful moments; birthdays, honeymoons, promotional events, the list goes on.
'Just know we are so grateful, sharing your magic with us has been a true honor. To our incredibly staff who are like family to us, our friends and the many fans who have showed your support, we are forever indebted to you. Franklin Village is a magical place.'
His post included various photos of the restaurant, including several of the eatery decked out for the holidays
Schwartz posted his own lengthy statement announcing the closure
His post included various photos of the restaurant, including several of the eatery decked out for the holidays.
'Well s**t guys, sad as hell to post this,' Schwartz noted in the caption. 'I’ll do a more sentimental post down the road. Just wanna keep it upbeat and throw some parties to close out the year. Let me and @tomsandoval1 host your events as we begin our farewell tour (prayer hands and heart emoji). I’m gonna be bold and leave the comments ON . Breathe X reboot. I have a cold Coors light & a Publix sub as I type this in Florida. We are gonna finish FUN.'
In addition to the duo's separate statements, which were signed off by them individually, the restaurant also made a post announcing it's closure.
Located in the Franklin Village neighborhood of LA, Schwartz and Sandy's opened in November 2022 and marked the duo's second restaurant together.
The pair also run the eponymous Tom Tom restaurant in West Hollywood, which they opened with Lisa Vanderpump in 2018.
But in March of 2023 the restaurants were caught in the crossfire after it was revealed Sandoval had been cheating on long-time girlfriend Ariana Madix with co-star Rachel Leviss, a controversy that was nicknamed by fans as 'Scandoval.'
Schwartz & Sandys faced backlash from fans angered after Sandoval cheated on long-time girlfriend Ariana Madix with Rachel Leviss; pictured 2022
In the immediate aftermath of the affair revelation, fans took their anger out on the two restaurants.
Schwartz & Sandy's was vandalized by angry fans and the Yelp pages for both restaurants were hit with negative reviews.
At last year's reunion, Schwartz revealed that as a result of the affair, revenue at the restaurant 'was down a little bit' and a boycott had gained some energy.
When asked how the businesses have been faring since the controversy, Sandoval told DailyMail.com at the Vanderpump Dog Gala earlier this month that they still have their 'ups and downs', adding 'it's never a dull moment.'
In an interview with People, Schwartz admitted they struggled post-pandemic and after the cheating scandal.
A glimpse of the Schwartz & Sandy's official opening party, which was hosted by DailyMail.com and TMX back in July 2022
The pair also run the eponymous Tom Tom restaurant in West Hollywood, which they opened with Lisa Vanderpump in 2018
'Unfortunately, the current climate for this business is pretty rough,' he said. 'Recovering from all the negativity post-scandal wasn’t easy, and the slimmer margins post-COVID made it even harder to bounce back. There’s not a lot of room for error in the restaurant/bar business.'
The duo poured over a million dollars into the making of the restaurant, and Sandoval's mother and stepfather even invested $250,000 into the endeavor.
'At this point, we have invested a million dollars into this project,' Sandoval said on a 2023 episode of Vanderpump Rules. 'It's like the national debt, it's just numbers flying.'
Sadly, the restaurant also took a personal toll on Schwartz - his ex-wife Katie Maloney admitted the eatery placed a 'massive strain' on their relationship and in 2022 she filed for divorce.
'It just was a lot more of a presence in my life than I thought it would be, without me having say over it,' she said in a confessional on an episode covering the restaurant's official opening party.
'All of the marital issues and arguments and everything we were having has now just been personified. This bar was the other woman in our marriage, and I'm standing inside of her now.'
The restaurant is one of several opened by Vanderpump Rules stars - on top of Lisa's many eateries, Ariana and Katie have their sandwich restaurant, Something About Her, while VPR vet Jax Taylor recently opened Jax's Studio City.
