Why Lisa Vanderpump isn’t running to Ariana Madix, Katie Maloney’s Something About Her sandwich shop
Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney’s Something About Her sandwich shop opens on Wednesday — but the ladies’ former boss Lisa Vanderpump is waiting a bit before checking it out.
“I’m going to give them a minute,” the restaurateur, 63, exclusively tells Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast while promoting Season 2 of “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars.”
“I don’t invite anybody to my restaurants for the first two weeks,” she continues. “I want a minute to sort out all the problems before I say we’re open. They’re open, but let’s give them a minute.”
Madix and Maloney’s West Hollywood, Calif., eatery has been in the works for some time. Its opening date was pushed for months on end due to an unexpected slew of permit issues.
However, patrons are now welcome to indulge in an array of delicacies — from gourmet peanut butter and jellies and grilled cheeses to sandwiches named after Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore and more stars of Nancy Meyers films.
While trying to get Something About Her off the ground, it was revealed by Lala Kent at the “Vanderpump Rules” Season 11 reunion that Maloney, 37, felt abandoned to handle business dealings on her own as Madix, 38, enjoyed time across the country in New York City performing as Roxie Hart in Broadway’s “Chicago.”
“I think in business, you’ve just got to work it out or walk away. You have to put business first above your relationship if you want it to succeed,” Vanderpump says, reacting to the tension displayed between the new business partners.
“You have to draw a line with that. Any of the petty squabbles have to be set aside.”
Vanderpump seems hopeful that the women — who ultimately didn’t let Kent’s revelation about Maloney’s secret frustrations impact their dynamic — will survive the experience of mixing money-making matters with friendship.
“I thought a lot of the friendships would never survive, but here they are 12 years later,” she says of her Bravo cast.
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Vanderpump — who’s opened a succession of restaurants across the globe, including Los Angeles’ famed SUR — says she’s always been cognizant of compartmentalizing business and personal relationships should they ever intersect.
“I’ve had partners in SUR for years, but we’ve always put our differences aside and concentrated on the good of the restaurant,” she says. “That’s exactly what they have to do.”
The “Vanderpump Villa” star notes that she’s “rarely had partners” in the hospitality space, but is thrilled to mentor eager hopefuls on “Food Stars” alongside pal and fellow Brit Gordon Ramsay.
“In this arena, like with ‘Food Stars,’ we’re looking for the best and raise your game to the best that it can be,” she tells “Virtual Reali-Tea” of discovering new talent on the Fox reality competition series.
While she had a lot of fun filming the show with Ramsay, 57, Vanderpump isn’t sold on the idea of going into business with him.
“I mean, if it came to creating a menu together, no that would never happen. He is so pigheaded when it comes to drawing a line in the sand. But I know that he does love the aesthetics I create, which are vastly different to his,” she says.
“I think we have mutual respect for sure, but being together on a full-time basis?” she adds with a laugh. “Two months was a lot!”
“Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars” Season 2 premieres Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.
