Getty Lisa Vanderpump
Lisa Vanderpump is erring on the side of caution with her recent restaurant reopenings, but not everyone agrees with new mandates that have been put in place at her dining establishments.
The former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star experienced lengthy shutdowns for her restaurant businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, but she’s not rushing back to “business as usual.” On the West Coast, Vanderpump co-owns West Hollywood hotspots SUR, PUMP, and TomTom as well as the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in Las Vegas. Her restaurant Villa Blanca did not survive the pandemic and was shut down in July 2020, per Bravo’s Daily Dish.
Vanderpump told The Daily Dish that she took her time with reopening her restaurants even after being given the okay by the state to do so “because we wanted to make sure we were safe.”
With the Delta variant of the virus now spreading across the country and forcing California to go back to mask mandates, Vanderpump’s eateries will require more than just masks and social distancing.
At Least Two of Vanderpump’s Restaurants Will Require Proof of Vaccine or Negative COVID Test
Two of Vanderpump’s businesses — PUMP and TomTom — have now posted messages on their Instagram accounts to announce guidelines for customers amid the surge in COVID-19 cases and the Delta variant.
“We will require all guests to show proof of vaccination, or a negative Covid test within 24 hours, before entry,” the announcement read.
The eateries’ management noted that “Our priority has always been the protection of our staff and guests. Please help us keep our community safe, and let’s beat this together.” There was also a #Getvaccinated hashtag at the end of the message.
SUR, the restaurant that serves as the centerpiece for “Vanderpump Rules,” has not yet posted a COVID-19 mandate.
The new dining guidelines received mixed reviews. While some commenters thanked the company for taking the Delta variant so seriously and posted clapping hand emoji and comments such as “Good for you. Stay safe and healthy,” others were not so happy.
A few disgruntled diners announced, “Bye-bye TomTom.” Others said the mandate is “not a good business move.”
‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ Alum Vicki Gunvalson’s Fiancé Blasted Vanderpump’s Medical Mandate
One person who is not supportive of Vanderpump’s mandate is Steve Lodge, the fiancé of “Real Housewives of Orange County” alum Vicki Gunvalson. Lodge is running for Governor of California.
In a video shared to his Instagram account, Lodge called out TomTom and Lisa Vanderpump directly for the latest mandates and asked, “Whatever happened to the right of privacy of your health records? I guess someone forgot to tell them that vaccinated people can also spread and get COVID.”
Lodge then rattled off a long list of other contagious diseases — including Ebola, the flu, measles, and STDs — that don’t require a vaccine proof and suggested that the unvaccinated “will have to spend their restaurant dollars elsewhere.”
While many agreed with Lodge’s stance and felt the move is discrimination against people who refuse to get the vaccine due to medical or religious reasons., others slammed his message and told him to “stay home” if he doesn’t want to follow the protocols.
“You sound ridiculous,” one follower wrote. “We are in a Pandemic with COVID-19. That simple. Educate yourself.”
Others told Lodge, “It’s not about your freedom, it’s about protecting others!”
“I’m often in utter amazement at how easily people can confuse notions of freedom with base selfishness,” another wrote. “Mind-bending trash.”
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