Lisa Vanderpump Confirms Closure of Her Famous Restaurant Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

In a new interview, the reality TV star breaks her silence on rumors surrounding the future of her restaurant empire.

By McKenna Aiello Jul 11, 2020 12:38 AMTags
Lisa VanderpumpAaron Poole/E!

Lisa Vanderpump has broken her silence on rumors surrounding the future of her restaurant empire. 

In a new interview with The Daily Mail, the Bravo reality TV star confirmed her and husband Ken Todd's Beverly Hills restaurant Villa Blanca is closing permanently.

"Although there have been many untrue articles in the past week or so about the reasons for closing Villa Blanca, we are indeed going to be closing up our doors for good," Lisa said. 

Speculation that Lisa and Ken were bidding farewell to the Mediterranean-inspired eatery sparked when it was reported that the couple was seeking a sub-lease for the space and had shut their doors for refurbishment. According to Lisa, however, the property's landlord was not willing to negotiate the cost of rent and she was given no choice. 

"Unfortunately with coronavirus," she explained, "The situation was beyond our control."

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For now, Lisa said she's focused on reopening her other West Hollywood restaurants familiar to fans of Vanderpump Rules, Pump, SUR and Tom Tom. 

"We will definitely be opening up the other restaurants as soon as the government allows it and they are safe to open, and many of the Villa Blanca staff members will be relocated to these businesses," she told the outlet.

Watch: Lisa Vanderpump Is Vindicated of Leaking Stories to Press

Villa Blanca was a favorite among the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast throughout Lisa's tenure on the show. When asked by Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live for a reaction to the news, Kyle Richards had this to say: "All the restaurants are so hard hit in Los Angeles. It didn't really surprise me at all."

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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