Victoria Lee Robinson Hints Schwartz & Sandy’s Was Sabotaged Amid Closing as Katie and Pump Rules Cast React to Closure, Plus Schwartz Shares What Led to Closing and Announces New Podcast

Victoria Lee Robinson reacted to the closure of Schwartz & Sandy’s in a comment shared to boyfriend Tom Sandoval‘s Instagram announcement, alluding to the potential sabotage of his and Tom Schwartz‘s Los Angeles venue.

As Schwartz’s ex-wife, Katie Maloney, 37, and a number of other Bravolebrities and Vanderpump Rules cast members also weighed in, and as Schwartz, 42, shared his thoughts on the downfall of their bar, Victoria, 32, suggested that Bravo and their landlord had prevented their success.

“I’m so proud of you… If only you were allowed to properly promote the place on the show as planned. If only someone would have allowed you to have access to the shopping center sign that came with the property so people could see it as the place is in a hidden corner.. (which I tried to pay for and surprise you with MULTIPLE times but was turned down),” she wrote.

Victoria then mentioned that Sandoval, 43, and Schwartz weren’t in control of their Instagram page.

“The list goes on and on… I felt bad from the beginning for the both of you,” she admitted. “I love you and I’m here to support you always. Remember people don’t know what goes on behind closed doors and don’t know all the facts. I love you.”

“[Thanks] so [much] baby … loving ‘[lockdown]’ with [you],” Sandoval replied, giving a nod to Lala Kent‘s recent suggestion that Victoria had Sandoval “on lockdown.”

Meanwhile, in the comment section of Schwartz’s post, Katie offered an “idea.”

“[It] rhymes with Katie [Maloney’s] bar and grill. JUST KIDDING. I’m looking forward to what’s next for you,” she wrote, as seen in a series of screenshots shared by Bravo Breaking News on Instagram.

“Love you Tommy … So proud of you,” shared Kristen Doute, 41.

Scheana Shay, 39, also weighed in, saying, “I’m really sorry to hear this. I know you have this your absolute ALL and you should be so proud of that! This place was beyond the coolest aesthetic in all of LA.”

“You gave it your all — something to be proud of,” agreed Kyle Cooke, 42. “Sometimes the stars don’t align and the journey is full of learning lessons, but the biggest regret of all would have been not trying in the first place. Hats off to you guys for putting your blood sweat and tears into something and actually running your own business. Where there’s no risk there’s no reward. Love you buddy.”

“So sorry Tom, we love you!” added Brittany Cartwright, 35.

Following their Instagram statements regarding the closure of Schwartz & Sandy’s, which opened in November 2022, Schwartz admitted that he and Sandoval “agonized” over the decision.

“Deciding to close was one of the hardest decisions we’ve made,” Schwartz told PEOPLE on November 25. “[But] unfortunately, the current climate for this business is pretty rough.”

According to Schwartz, it was a struggle for Schwartz & Sandy’s to come back from “Scandoval,” which erupted in March 2023 with the reveal of Sandoval’s months-long affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, 30.

“Recovering from all the negativity post-scandal wasn’t easy, and the slimmer margins post-COVID made it even harder to bounce back. There’s not a lot of room for error in the restaurant/bar business,” he explained. “It’s already a tough business, and the damage from relentless negative press over the last year made it even harder. It was difficult not to feel resentful and bitter, but eventually, we had to let it go — no more replaying what went wrong.”

Looking back at their post-“Scandoval” moments at the restaurant, which many fans boycotted due to Sandoval’s betrayal of Ariana Madix, 39, Schwartz said he and Sandoval often wanted to give up.

“In retrospect, maybe we should have closed earlier, but we had so much faith in this bar,” he stated. “Seeing our regulars come in and watching how S&S became a place where people came together to make memories made it hard to let go.”

“Tom and I learned the hard way about the pitfalls of having your name on the building. It comes with immense responsibility, and your personal life directly reflects on your business and your partners. It’s a double-edged sword for a public figure,” he added.

While Sandoval noted that he’s “very optimistic about what the future holds,” Schwartz said he is planning to “take a beat” before he hits the ground running with his upcoming project with Podcast One: Detox / Retox, which is set to launch in 2025.

“I’m super excited about that,” he noted. “I’d also like to get behind the camera and produce some shows … We’ll still be holding things down at TomTom. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment, but I’d still like to open a little dive bar someday.”

Vanderpump Rules is currently on pause.