Lisa Vanderpump Closing Pump Restaurant For Good Over Rent Dispute
Say goodbye to Pumptinis in West Hollywood. Lisa Vanderpump is closing the doors to her iconic restaurant Pump at the flagship location permanently next month after the landlord upped the rent, RadarOnline.com can report.
This outlet told you first — Vanderpump, 62, had been mulling over resigning a 10-year lease at the corner of Santa Monica and Robertson since March after denying to us exclusively that the eatery had its liquor license suspended.
As RadarOnline.com reported, the landlord had been hunting for a new tenant as Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, weighed the pros and cons of paying higher rent to keep the iconic spot.
However, they have decided that paying almost $1 million in yearly rent isn't worth it. Don't fret — we can reveal that Pump will remain open all of June during Pride Month, which was a conscious decision on Lisa and Ken's part.
"It's with heavy hearts that we announce that the lease at Pump Restaurant is expiring, and we will be closing its doors on July 5th, after 10 years of beautiful evenings under our olive trees," the Pump Family told TMZ on Thursday.
They also confirmed that the increased rent was the issue.
"While we have loved our time operating Pump, to take on another 10-year lease with a huge increase in rent by the landlords, is not something we are ready to commit to. After successfully running 37+ establishments for many years, this type of rent is untenable," their statement continued.
Lisa revealed she's excited to "support the local community," and teased "one last hurrah" during Pride Month at Pump.
- Lisa Vanderpump's Husband Ken Todd Had 'Emotional Meeting' With Pump Staff About Closing, Scrambling to Save Loyal Employees' Jobs
- Lisa Vanderpump Mulling Over Renewing Pump's WeHo Lease Amid Scandoval Drama
- Lisa Vanderpump's Husband Demands $1 Million Lawsuit Brought By PUMP's Ex-Landlord Be Dismissed, Denies Owing Unpaid Rent
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This is Vanderpump's second Los Angeles establishment to close as a hike in rent also forced her to shut the doors to her former Beverly Hills restaurant, Villa Blanca.
Of course, she still has two other successful restaurants in the area — TomTom and SUR.
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"We look forward to welcoming you all to TomTom & Sur in the months following! Thank you for the past decade of support, we have loved our staff, our patrons and our time together," the statement concluded.
Pump's closing falls on the heels of Scandoval — which gave an uptick to Vanderpump's businesses. The same can't be said for cheater Tom Sandoval.