Restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump has addressed the grim reality restaurant owners are facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic as cases continue to rise throughout the country.
On Tuesday, the “Vanderpump Rules” star — whose staff at SUR stars in the reality show — tweeted that “many restaurants will not reopen.” But Page Six is told Vanderpump was referring to restaurants in general and not her own properties with her message, which comes after the Los Angeles County of Public Health issued new restrictions saying establishments “will only be able to offer take-out, drive thru, and delivery services.”
“After much cost & consideration for the well being of staff & guests we endeavored to open. Sadly, many restaurants will not reopen. We want to thank patrons and incredible staff who followed stringent guidelines. Masks are essential, stay safe we will prevail. Happy thanksgiving,” Vanderpump shared with her 1.8 million Twitter followers.
On Sunday, it was announced that in-person dining will be prohibited for the next three weeks in Los Angeles, at minimum. Over 6,000 new coronavirus cases were reported Monday by LA County.
In July, Vanderpump told the Daily Mail that her Villa Blanca restaurant would be closing permanently but offered it could potentially re-open at a new location one day.
“While saying goodbye to the location where we have actively served the Beverly Hills community for 12 years and employed hundreds of Angelenos, is a sad time for us, we are excited to perhaps bring Villa Blanca back in the future at a different location – as its staff and customers have always been a family,” she said at the time.
Vanderpump’s other LA properties are Pump, SUR, and TomTom, which she runs with “Vanderpump Rules” stars Tom Schwartz and Tom Sandoval. She opened the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in Las Vegas last spring.
Meanwhile, the upcoming season of “Vanderpump Rules” is “on hold” for now, according to a recent E! News report.