Heavy/Getty Jax Taylor.
Jax Taylor hosted a soft opening for his new sports bar, Jax’s Studio City.
In September 2023, the “Vanderpump Rules” veteran and his wife, Brittany Cartwright, appeared in photos and videos taken at an event at their Ventura Boulevard bar, and fans had a lot to say about the lightning-fast mini-opening that took place just a little over a month after the bar news was first announced.
Here’s what you need to know:
Jax Taylor & Brittany Cartwright Had the Support of Their Friends, Including Several ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Stars, at the Soft Opening for Jax’s Studio City
In photos and videos shared on Instagram, Taylor was seen at the opening event at Jax’s Studio City. In one clip, the Bravo alum was having an animated conversation with his former co-star Tom Schwartz as they hung out at the new bar. Schwartz’s hair was now back to its original color after he had a short-lived foray as a bleached blond.
Other friends tagged in photos from the night included Nia Sanchez, Jasmine Goode, Zack Wickham, Janet Caperna, Jared Lipscomb, and “Vanderpump Rules” veteran Kristen Doute. Taylor’s sister, Jenny Cauchi, was also on hand for the party.
Photos showed a vibrant decor with green palm-printed wallpaper and a dark wood bar. Other photos showed guests dining on pizza.
“Thanks for coming to @jaxstudiocity last night boys,” Taylor commented on photos posted by guest Simon Curtis.
But some fans were confused by the look at the bar and the timing of the soft opening.
“I’m so confused. It reminds me of Schwartz and Sandy’s. Is this Jax new dig or is he now partnered with Schwartz. I’m confused!!😮😮😮m” one fan wrote, in reference to the Franklin Village bar that Schwartz opened with Tom Sandoval in 2021.
“Isn’t that Schwartz and sandy wallpaper?” another asked. “I wasn’t expecting palms,” another chimed in.
“How did they open so quickly and swartznsatan’s took 11 years?” another wanted to know.
“How did Jax do all of this so quickly? …I wonder if production helped hurry it along so he’d have a story line to go between the two shows?” another suggested.
“Now I get it. They threw this bar together while filming to have a …storyline,” came a comment on Reddit.
“Exactly,” another agreed. “Tossed on some wallpaper and painted a door or two green and then had a ‘soft open’ where they didn’t serve any food or drinks from their menu…Where was the staff? Where was the food? The amazing cocktails? No? This feels like a last minute garage sale thrown together.”
In June, Deadline reported that Taylor and Cartwright would be involved in a “Vanderpump Rules” spinoff focused on a group of friends living in the Valley. It is unclear if the Jax’s Studio City event was filmed for either show.
Heavy reached out to a rep for Taylor but was told they were unable to comment.
As of this writing, the bar is still getting its staff together. On September 19, Taylor posted the Jax’s Studio City logo to his Instagram story with the message, “Now hiring servers and bartenders.”
Jax Taylor Revealed Why His Bar Business Will Be Different
Other “Vanderpump Rules” stars have opened bars and restaurants in recent years. In addition to the opening of Schwartz and Sandy’s, Schwartz and Sandoval’s exes, Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix, are set to open their sandwich shop, Something About Her, which they have been working on since 2021.
Schwartz and Maloney’s relationship did not survive the stress of the bar opening, and Sandoval and Madix have also since split.
In an August 2023 episode of his “When Reality Hits” podcast, Taylor opened up about Jax’s Studio City and said his “neighborhood sports bar” bar would be different because his wife will be involved.
“I know in the past that I’ve said owning a bar is basically a marriage killer but the difference is [Brittany is] involved just as much as I am,” the former SUR bartender revealed. “The difference is, between some other people that we know that did a bar that didn’t involve their significant others, I am involving mine.”
Taylor also teased the non “bougie” sports bar theme for his new place, as well as various special events that will take place there.
“We’re going to have a lot of events there,” he said. “We’re going to have drag bingo. We’re going to have football, fights, karaoke, viewing parties of different reality shows, Kentucky basketball nights, we’re just going to have it all.”
“The goal is to be open by mid-September [or the] end of September,” the “Vanderpump Rules” alum added of his bar’s official grand opening date.
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Jax Taylor’s Studio City Sports Bar Has Soft Opening