Schwartz and Sandy’s Is Closing: RIP Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz’s Bar

Turns out, Lisa Vanderpump may have had the magic sauce, or was less affected by Scandoval: Schwartz and Sandy’s is shutting down.

Vanderpump Rules stars Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval are shuttering their cocktail lounge, which was supposed to be their breakout from under the Vanderpump empire of properties. (TomTom, the bar they founded alongside Lisa, is doing fine.)

“Unfortunately, the current climate for this business is pretty rough,” Schwartz told People. “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.”

He added, “In retrospect, maybe we should have closed earlier, but we had so much faith in this bar,” admitting that trading on his and his cofounder’s fame backfired when he cheated on his girlfriend, Ariana Madix, with her friend Raquel/Rachel Leviss. “Tom and I learned the hard way about the pitfalls of having your name on the building. It comes with immense responsibility, and your personal life directly reflects on your business and your partners. It’s a double-edged sword for a public figure.”

Schwartz also posted a tribute to the venture on Instagram, including pictures and videos from the bar’s better days, as well as a touching clip of Cheers bartender Sam Malone (Ted Danson) closing up for the last time in the TV show’s finale.

Schwartz mentioned that he would “be bold” and leave comments on the post turned on (most of the top comments are asking how Vanderpump costar Scheana Shay is handling the news, which is kind of an inside, and then there’s Shay herself, who wrote, “I’m really sorry to hear this. I know you gave this your absolute ALL and you should be so proud of that! This place was beyond the coolest aesthetic in all of LA. ✨”

On his own post, bad boy Sandoval (who once feuded with this very publication) mourned that Schwartz and Sandy’s was never able to overcome its reputation as a spot for Bravo-heads, writing, “The allure of being associated with reality TV has hidden what is an amazing spot and location for LA locals as well.”

If anyone knows the difference between a spot and a location, let me know. Comments on his post are more along the lines of “that’s too bad, it was a good bar” and “Lisa was right” and “Schwartz lost his marriage for this,” which, okay, I’ve only seen the first few seasons, but it kind of seems like Schwartz was on the fence about marriage from the beginning?

There’s dragging your feet and then there’s dragging your feet.

Anyway, the bar is still open for the next month, and they’re having a Taylor Swift birthday party, apparently, and I wouldn’t not go, if given the opportunity.

RIP, S&S.