Lisa Vanderpump Announces Pump’s Reopening Amid Tax Dispute Allegations

Lisa Vanderpump fired back at claims that her restaurant Pump would not be reopening anytime soon following allegations over tax issues — details

Open for business? Lisa Vanderpump seemingly clapped back at claims that her restaurant Pump has been “suspended” for alleged tax woes after being shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“OK a big week coming, it’s been a long year, but filming three shows has definitely kept me busy,” Vanderpump, 60, tweeted on Friday, March 12. “I am fully vaccinated [and] many of our staff are in process [of doing the same], numbers are way down.”

The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star also announced that her new show Overserved airs on E! on Thursday, March 18, saying, “It’s so much fun lol.” She added: “Pump opens 17th. And our rescue has now saved 2,200 dogs.”

Lisa Vanderpump Announces Pump’s Reopening Amid Tax Dispute Allegations — Lisa Vanderpump attends the Evine Los Angeles studio launch celebration at the London Hotel on October 18, 2018. Sara Jaye Weiss/Startraks

The Vanderpump Rules star, who owns multiple restaurants in Los Angeles and one in Las Vegas with her husband, Ken Todd, also asked her fans for more positivity as the world continues to bounce back amid the pandemic.

“No time for negativity, let’s get going this year and bring our lives back in the ‘RoaringTwenties,’” she wrote in a second tweet. “Thank you all for your amazing support thru these crazy times. Off to do my podcast 😂.”

The Simply Divine author’s comments came two days after The Sun reported that the California Franchise Tax Board “suspended” Pump over a tax dispute. According to business records obtained by the outlet on Wednesday, March 10, businesses with a “suspended” standing are due to failure to pay taxes, failure to file tax returns or failure to pay penalties or interest accrued on the taxes.

The outlet reported that filings were last made on February 2, but no updates to the restaurant’s status have been indicated on the forms. While the cause of the tax discrepancies are unknown, the California Franchise Tax Board’s website states businesses must pay any alleged balances or file any allegedly past due tax returns in order to reopen.

While Vanderpump revealed Pump’s reopening as Wednesday, March 17, the website for the eatery says, “We are OPEN!” on the homepage. The restaurant’s social media pages, on the other hand, have been dark since October 2020. At the time, the company announced on both Instagram and Facebook that the establishment was open for “dinner under the stars” and socially distanced dining following a seven-month shutdown amid COVID-19 protocols.

A source exclusively told Us in November 2020 that Pump is “not shutting down” anytime soon and would reopen after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, noting that both Pump and SUR were closing again that week due to “Los Angeles County restrictions of restaurants, breweries, wineries and bars for at least three weeks.”

The “All Things Vanderpump” podcast host has been dealing with drama in both her business ventures and TV entities over the past year, including facing a class action lawsuit for allegedly breaking several California labor laws, filed in July 2020. Villa Blanca closed its doors for good the same month, following the firing of four stars from Vanderpump Rules for past racist actions.

Bravo cut ties with series regulars Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute in June 2020 after their racially insensitive remarks about former costar Faith Stowers resurfaced. Newbies Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni were also let go for using racial slurs in old tweets.

Jax Taylor and his wife, Brittany Cartwright, have since stepped away from the reality series, announcing their departures in December.