Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz are shutting down their Los Angeles bar Schwartz & Sandy’s just two years after its opening.
On Monday (November 22), the Vanderpump Rules co-stars took to Instagram to share the news that they’re officially closing their restaurant and bar just before the start of the new year.
Sandoval, 42, was the first to post a statement. “With a heavy heart, we’ve made the difficult decision to close Schwartz & Sandy’s at the end of December,” he began.
“This hasn’t been an easy choice for my partners and me, but other priorities and commitments have taken hold,” he continued. “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.”
The reality TV personality went on to thank his “staff” and supporters for their “endless commitment to making Schwartz & Sandy’s a place of everlasting memories.”
He noted that the bar would continue hosting events and serving patrons until its closing night.
“The allure of being associated with reality TV has hidden what is an amazing sport and location for LA locals as well. I highly recommend you check us out, especially if you haven’t yet,” Sandoval concluded. “Let’s get together one last time.”
Meanwhile, Schwartz, also 42, echoed Sandoval’s gratitude in his own statement.
“This was not an easy conclusion,” Schwartz wrote on Instagram, before adding: “There’s some peace in knowing I gave my absolute all into S&S, fully committed with every fiber in my being.”
While the co-owners didn’t list a specific reason for the sudden shut-down, many fans still expressed their disappointment.
”My husband and I had a great time visiting in August,” one former patron commented. “It’s a beautiful space and cool vibe, and hanging out with the two Toms (and Victoria) was the highlight of our trip!”
Summer House star Kyle Cooke wrote: “You gave it your all — something to be proud of. Sometimes the stars don’t align and the journey is full of learning lessons, but the biggest regret of all would have been not trying in the first place.”
In 2023, a cheating scandal involving Sandoval — who was in a nine-year relationship with co-star Ariana Madix at the time — shocked both the cast and fans of the show. News of Sandoval’s months-long affair with co-star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss broke in March, as Madix documented how she learned about their secret relationship on season 10 of Vanderpump Rules.
According to Madix, she’d found a lewd video of Leviss on her then-boyfriend’s phone, as well as a slew of “inappropriate texts.”
Amid the fallout from Sandoval’s cheating scandal, Schwartz declared he was removing himself from the conversation.
“It seems each time I try to weigh in or talk about, ramble on about it, drivel on, I inevitably sound like I’m somehow justifying it or making excuses for it, and I’m not. Because there’s just no excuse for it,” he said on Fox’s Stars on Mars in 2023.
“Any sort of version of his side of the story has become obsolete because of the way he handled it,” Schwartz said about his longtime friend and business partner.
“Ultimately, that’s his life. That is his life. I did not have an affair. I am not him. It’s just so strange that I’ve been absolutely mired in this. It’s taken on almost a life of its own. And after this, I’m stepping away from it permanently.”
