We#’re almost a year on from the cheating scandal that rocked Vanderpump Rules — and indeed the pop culture universe as a whole. In the wake of the so-called ‘Scandoval’ — where it was revealed that Tom Sandoval had been having a months-long affair with his castmate Raquel Leviss — the reality television star faced serious backlash. Much of the uproar was directed at the newly opened restaurant he co-owns with his castmate, Tom Schwartz.
Located in Los Angeles’ Franklin Village, Schwartz and Sandy’s was the subject of mass review-bombings, much online vitriol and dwindling patronage. All of this arrived on top of the pair’s already tumultuous road to opening the restaurant, which was plagued with delays and in-fighting as the Toms fought with each other and their business partner, Greg Morris.
As Vanderpump Rules prepares for its season eleven premiere on January 30, 2024, the question on every Bravo fan’s lips is: How is Schwartz and Sandy’s doing?
Is business booming?
Schwartz and Sandy’s seems to have recovered from its tumultuous period, at least according to Tom Schwartz himself. The Vanderpump Rules star revealed that the restaurant is “coming back”, and is “doing better” after the fallout from Scandoval. While Schwartz admitted that he thought the business might have been “over” following the scandal, he and Sandoval have since committed to improving the restaurant.
Schwartz even outlined plans for a “revamp” of the restaurant, announcing an array of new drinks, food menu items and music programs. The restaurateur’s comments align with earlier updates he provided in December 2022, when he said that Schwartz and Sandy’s was in the process of “resetting,” and that despite the backlash, he and Sandoval were “hanging in there.”
By all accounts, the restaurant is still open, with Distractify reporting that the telephone number is still operational. Reviews of Schwartz and Sandy’s have been posted by patrons as recently as last month, and the restaurant’s Instagram page has been tagged in new posts in January. However, the page itself — from which Sandoval is noticeably absent — has not uploaded a post since January of 2023.
It’s not yet known whether Sandoval has returned from his hiatus from the business, which he took in October 23 following the Scandoval backlash. In any case, audiences can expect at least some updates around Schwartz and Sandy’s throughout the imminent season of Vanderpump Rules.
For their part, the sandwich shop set to be opened by fellow castmates (and former girlfriends) Arina Madix and Katie Maloney, is also expected to form part of Vanderpump Rules’ eleventh season. Naturally, the so-called Something About Her shop has also been plagued by delays.