‘Vanderpump Rules’: Tom Schwartz Reveals Schwartz and Sandy’s Almost Destroyed His Friendship With Tom Sandoval
Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval from Vanderpump Rules were all smiles on the red carpet at the opening of their labor of love restaurant, Schwartz and Sandy’s.
But Schwartz recently admitted he and Sandoval experienced more than the usual growing pains when it came to launching the new restaurant.
Opening Schwartz and Sandy’s almost tore Tom and Tom’s ‘friendship apart’
Schwartz said while he and Sandoval put their “heart and soul” into Tom Tom, the experience with Schwartz and Sandy’s differed because Tom Tom was a Lisa Vanderpump production.
“For better or for worse, me and Tom were involved in every single decision, hence the reason it took a year and a half to open,” he shared on the Scheananigans with Scheana Shay podcast.
“It almost tore our friendship apart,” he admitted about the new restaurant. “I wish I was being melodramatic, but I’m not. It put our friendship to the test. It’s funny because we acknowledged that before we started the venture. I’m like, ‘Tom, this is going to probably tear us apart.’ He’s like, ‘I know, but we got this.’ But, we persevered. We worked through it. It’s like me and Tom need therapy sessions together, you know what I mean? But without the therapist. We were very good at letting the other person talk and just listening.”
Tom Schwartz described opening the restaurant as a ‘f***ing’ nightmare
Schwartz added that opening the restaurant consumed every aspect of his life. “And to anyone who’s ever romanticized the notion of opening a bar or restaurant, first of all, do it,” he said with a sigh. “Just know that it will consume every single aspect of your life.”
“Unless you’re wealthy, then you’re fine. You know what I mean?” he continued. “But when you have a budget and time is money, it will consume every single aspect of your life. I say that again because I know some of you were thinking about it.”
“On the surface, it sounds fun, right?” Schwartz said. “Open a bar, open a restaurant, you know what I mean? It’s glamorous. But trust me, it’s a f***ing nightmare and a dream come true. All rolled into one.”
What advice does Tom Schwartz have for others?
Now that Schwartz has opened two restaurants, one alone with Sandoval, he reflected on lessons learned and what he wished his younger self knew. “Oh, my God, I would tell my younger self, before we even move forward and bankroll the endeavor, I would be in full agreement in terms of design. Have a full 3D rendering,” he advised.
He loved their designer who created a “beautiful vision board.” But, “We didn’t fully flesh out every single detail,” he said. “And that led to some chaos, to be honest. Because me and Tom have very strong opinions about style, design, especially when it comes to the menu. Cocktail menu. Like, we’re both surprisingly stubborn.”
“I know I seem passive and I am,” Schwartz admitted. “I’m diplomatic. But I have very strong opinions when it comes to business. And yeah, it led to chaos, but we reeled it back in. And my advice to anybody out there listening, make sure you have a full rendering and you’re all in full agreement about the design for you. Because time is money.”
