‘Vanderpump Rules’: Joe Bradley From ‘Southern Hospitality’ Says He ‘Looks up to’ Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval [Exclusive]
Joe Bradley from Bravo’s Southern Hospitality said someday opening his own restaurant is currently his “number one goal in life” and Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval from Vanderpump Rules fuel his inspiration.
When Southern Hospitality Season 1 ended, Bradley had been promoted at Leva Bonaparte’s Charleston nightclub Republic. He told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that he doesn’t plan to stop with the promotion and hopes to become the Charleston version of the “Toms” someday.
Joe Bradley looks up to Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval from ‘Vanderpump Rules’
Bradley had a chance to experience one of Schwartz and Sandoval’s restaurants. “I actually went there,” Bradley said about meeting Schwartz and Sandoval in Los Angeles.
“Our lead producer, our showrunner actually made [Vanderpump Rules] for nine years,” Bradley said. “And I was lucky enough for him to introduce me to them. And they were beyond nice. Just like the nicest guys, most welcoming. And they’re definitely two guys that I look up to because they’re following a similar path to me. And that’s pretty much one of the only other reality shows I have ever seen. To watch their journey, kind of like how I started, it is pretty f***ing cool.”
Opening Schwartz & Sandy’s was a tough journey for Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval
But Bradley will see this season of Vanderpump Rules that opening a new restaurant can be a tough road. Schwartz and Sandoval secured the Schwartz & Sandy’s location last season but progress stalled. In the first Vanderpump Rules Season 10 episode, Schwartz revealed that Sandoval got distracted with his band, and the restaurant languished, hemorrhaging money.
But they got back on track. When Schwartz and Sandoval spoke to Showbiz Cheat Sheet in October, they felt good to finally say that they were ready to open. “We’re getting very, very close,” Sandoval said about when Schwartz & Sandy’s will officially open. “We’ve done some private parties. Obviously, we did the Daily Mail party and a family party.”
“We’ve been cutting our teeth with private parties, special events,” Schwartz added. “But it feels good to say we are so close to being officially open.”
‘Southern Hospitality’ restaurants compared to ‘Vanderpump Rules’ locations
Similar to Los Angeles, Charleston is a foodie destination. “There are some badass restaurants in Charleston,” Bradley said. “They make a lot of money. I know some waiters around town that make more money than a lot of guys in the corporate world. So it’s a great town to do it in. I encourage anyone that wants to be in hospitality to come to Charleston and talk to me. I would love to help you out because I think it’s a leap of faith to leave a job like that and do something different, especially if you went to college.”
“I would love to be an open book to people when they make the leap of faith because it was a hard decision for me,” he added. “But I’m really glad I did it. Zero regrets and I found my passion. So I’m really happy. And the money is great.”
Like Schwartz and Sandoval’s former boss and business partner Lisa Vanderpump, Bonaparte has made a major mark in the Charleston restaurant scene.
When asked if she felt as though she was the Lisa Vanderpump of Charleston, Bonaparte laughed sharing that she felt more like Captain Sandy Yawn from Below Deck Mediterranean. Bonaparte said maintaining order within her four restaurants can be a challenge.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m more of like a Sandy from Below Deck than I am a Lisa Vanderpump, honestly,” Bonaparte told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “Because I definitely am not living as fabulous of a life for sure, as Lisa Vanderpump. I have no ponies in my backyard, guys.”
