The Surprising Reason Lisa Vanderpump's Restaurant May Be In Trouble
Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump is in hot water again over her restaurant chain. The owner of famed West Hollywood hotspots PUMP, SUR, Tom Tom, and Villa Blanca (the latter two have been closed due to the pandemic) now has a new allegation against her culinary ventures — the second in a year.
Lisa's spinoff series Vanderpump Rules has also been under fire after a false report made by lead stars Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute resurfaced in June 2020, . The duo reportedly called the police on fellow cast member Faith Stowers due to her race, per Page Six. "Now I'm seeing Bravo ... let go of castmates that have also made racist remarks. Bravo is releasing women that have given them crazy ratings because they want to be on the right side of history," Stowers told the magazine. VPR staple Jax Taylor was also let go in December 2020 amidst claims of similar problematic behavior, according to Variety.
Now Lisa's culinary ventures have another bad look for business. Keep scrolling to find out the surprising reason why Lisa's restaurants may be in trouble!
This Lisa Vanderpump restaurant is reportedly closed due to 'tax problems'
The glamorous Lisa Vanderpump surely knows how to flaunt her wealth, but it seems she may not know how to properly spend it. According to The Sun, Lisa's main PUMP restaurant has remained closed during the pandemic due to a "tax dispute" with the state of California.
"PUMP is currently 'suspended' by the California Franchise Board," the article states, citing a possible "failure to file tax returns, failure to pay taxes and/or failure to pay penalties/interest."
This isn't the first COVID-19 legal claim against her restaurants: per TMZ, wholesale vegetable supplier West Central Produce sued PUMP and Villa Blanca for not paying their bills since March 2020. The company alleged that the hotspots owe almost $100,000 in backpay.
Lisa previously admitted that owning eateries during the pandemic was putting pressure on her finances. "Five months of paying rent and insurance, and having no business is taxing, stretching, [has been] a bit of a nightmare," Lisa said on Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent's podcast, via The Sun. Lisa is also reportedly worth $90 million, according to the site.
Maybe a more fitting title for Lisa's new show should be Overserved & Underpaid!