Lisa Vanderpump is to close her Pump restaurant after almost 10 years.
The reality TV star threw open the doors to her eaterie in West Hollywood, California back in 2014 and it went on to feature in her ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ spin-off show ‘Vanderpump Rules’ but the 62-year-old businesswoman has now confirmed Pump is set to close for good due to rising costs.
A statement posted on the restaurant’s Instagram page explained: “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that the lease at Pump Restaurant is expiring and we will be closing its doors on July 5th, after 10 years of beautiful evenings under our olive trees …
“While we have loved our time operating Pump, to take on another 10-year lease with a huge increase in rent by the landlords, is not something we are ready to commit to. After successfully running 37+ establishments for many years, this type of rent is untenable. We will be open throughout Pride month in West Hollywood, to support the local community with one last hurrah … Thank you for the past decade of support, we have loved our staff, our patrons and our time together.”
The statement added that star plans to open two more restaurants in Las Vegas in conjunction with Caesars Palace within the next 12 months.
Vanderpump still runs two other restaurants in California – Tom Tom and SUR – while her other eaterie Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills shut its doors in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since announcing news of Pump’s closure, details about the rent agreement have been disputed by the property’s landlord, who told New York Post column PageSix: “We did not raise the rent and in fact have been nothing but supportive as they tried to catch up on lease obligations including forgiving some rent during COVID”.
Lisa previously opened up about her attitude towards her business empire in an interview with Forbes, explaining she wants to focus on “passion projects”.
She said: “I’ve got to a stage in my life where everything has to be a passion project. I’ve done so many different things that now I find that I am motivated by something that excites me. I love design.”
