TomTom from “Vanderpump Rules”

The Instagram world was set on fire (well, my Instagram world, at least) Wednesday night when the cast of Vanderpump Rules, along with other Bravolebrities and reality TV stars, began posting photos of the DailyMail.com & DailyMailTV Summer Party which took place at TomTom, the highly anticipated new bar venture by husband and wife restauranteurs Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd and their protégés/employees/junior partners Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz.  The soirée served as a soft opening for the West Hollywood watering hole (per several sources the official opening won’t take place for three weeks) and I could not have been more excited to see the completed space, which VP fans witnessed the progress of throughout the show’s most recent season.  I actually popped by TomTom in mid-May with my friends Kim and Katie, who were in town visiting from Kentucky.  Though the site was just a construction zone at the time, it was an absolute thrill to see in person – especially because we wound up running into the entire Vanderpump/Todd family while there and were given a sneak peak at the place’s interior!

The opening of TomTom has been a project years in the making.  Ken first leased the WeHo space that now houses the bar way back in 2015 – without Lisa’s knowledge or consent.  At the time, the site was home to an adult boutique named Chi Chi LaRue’s.  The couple subsequently rented the place out short term to Showtime Clothing while deciding what they ultimately wanted to do with it.  Per various building reports, it seems an eatery named Pinky’s Restaurant was originally going to be established there, but that plan was scrapped in 2016 as the idea for TomTom began to take shape.

There seems to be some confusion regarding the square footage of the TomTom space floating around online.  In 2013, a comparable summary report noted the 1935 structure as consisting of 3,360 square feet, but a leasing brochure from 2017 listed it at 1,508.  Either way, the property’s useable space has grown considerably since Lisa and Ken acquired it thanks to the addition of an upstairs kitchen area, as well as a large elevated back patio that overlooks West Hollywood Park.

When Vanderpump and Todd took over the site, it was incredibly non-descript – basically just four walls and a ceiling, as you can see here.  What it has been transformed into is nothing short of spectacular.  I cannot wait to head out there to experience the finished product in person.  I was elated to see it all boarded up with black plywood back in May, though, being that it popped up countless times throughout Vanderpump Rules’ sixth season in the same state.

Audiences were actually given their first glimpse of the TomTom space on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, not Vanderpump Rules.  In the Season 6 episode titled “Busted BBQ,” which aired in 2016, Ken brings Lisa to tour the site, which he has just leased out.  The unique wares and décor of then occupant Chi Chi LaRue’s make transforming the space into a restaurant a bit hard for Lisa to envision.  As she approaches the front doors, she says, “I don’t think I want to go in there.  There are things in the window that make my eyes water.  I’ve got my dark glasses on to protect myself.”

While Ken thinks the site is the perfect prospect for their next culinary venture, Lisa is more interested in some mini whips she finds on the shelves that she wants to bring home to her pet ponies.

The TomTom space does not appear on Vanderpump Rules until the December 2017 Season 6 premiere titled “Masquerade,” in which Sandoval and Schwartz tour the now vacant and gutted site with Lisa and Ken.

Sandoval really dresses the part for the occasion, but, come on, like anyone believes that tape measure is actually going to be used!  Nice try, Sandoval.

During their tour, Sandoval gets quite the tongue lashing from Lisa over his negativity, arrogance, and unwanted advice on the venture.  As she sarcastically pans, “What were we thinking?  Doing 33 restaurants without Tom Sandoval.  How the f*ck did we do it?”

The TomTom space is featured in numerous additional episodes throughout the season, including “It’s Not About the Pasta” in which the two Toms attempt to invest some sweat equity in the restaurant.   (If only they can figure out how to put on their dust masks!)

It also appears in “Karma’s a Bitch,” in which Sandoval calls Lisa from Vegas to discuss hosting a “progress party” at the site for all of his friends . . .

. . . and “Reiki Breaky Heart,” in which Tom and Tom discuss the upcoming progress party . . .

. . . and Sandoval gets down on one knee, presents Schwartz with a rose gold and diamond “TT” lapel pin, and officially asks him to be his partner in the restaurant, which elicits this speech from Schwartz, “Katie’s my wife in life, but in business Tom is my wife and I’m ready to make that commitment and I hope we have beautiful business babies together.”  Those two are so ridiculous, I swear.

The bar site gets its most screen time in the Season 6 finale titled “Welcome to TomTom,” in which the highly anticipated “progress party” takes place.

The space was still very much a work-in-progress at the time.  It is truly amazing how far it has come.

As I mentioned above, while we were stalking TomTom, we had the pleasure of running into Ken.  He could not have been more gracious and kind and not only posed for a photo with us, but opened up the front door so that we could take a peek inside the bar.  Though it was still under construction, its beauty was apparent.  As we were glimpsing the interior, a car pulled up out front and Ken informed us that Lisa was inside, but that she was not in the best of spirits as her brother had passed away just days before.  We had not been aware of that fact prior to Ken telling us, otherwise we most certainly would not have approached him, let alone ask for a picture.  When Lisa walked up, with Pandora in tow, we offered our condolences and she could not have been nicer and even talked with us for a bit before heading inside TomTom.  As we ventured away from the bar, excitedly chatting about our good fortune of getting to see the inside of the space and meeting Ken and Lisa, who should walk by but their son, Max!  Talk about crazy timing.  (And no, we did not approach him, considering the circumstances.)

In another only-in-L.A. moment, minutes after this all took place, our group headed over to the Starbucks across the street (natch) and were floored to run into Jared Haibon from The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise!  It was definitely a stellar day for celebrity sightings!

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!

Stalk It: TomTom, from Vanderpump Rules, is located at 8932 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.  The bar is not open to the public yet, but per several sources is set to open in about three weeks.