The success of Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules has many of its cast members starting their own businesses. There’s Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz going into the restaurant business with their Los Angeles lounge, Schwartz & Sandy’s and Scheana Shay launching her Scheananigans with Scheana Shay podcast.
One of the latest businesses to open is the sandwich shop Something About Her. Launched by Ariana Madix, whose net worth skyrocketed after “Scandoval,” and Katie Maloney, the West Hollywood lunch spot was a dream for both women who faced years of setbacks.
Although the shop finally opened in May, there’s still a list of drama surrounding it.
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Chef Penny Davidi Filed A Lawsuit Against Ariana Madix And Katie Maloney
Before Something About Her finally opened in May, Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix suffered a few hiccups, including dealing with staffing issues. One of their biggest setbacks was with their former chef, Penny Davidi, whom they hired to oversee their menu. As Bravo reported, according to Katie, Penny was also said to be the sandwich shops “COO and head of back of house.”
In an episode of Vanderpump Rules, Katie and Ariana tell Lisa Vanderpump that they decided to part ways with chef Penny because of a partnership agreement they did not agree upon and salary issues.
“She received a salary and then we offered, on the back end, 10% profits from this location. That’s a great deal,” Ariana shared.
Both Ariana and Katie later shared that Penny did not take a liking to the deal and cut ties with her. However, in July, People reported that Penny filed a lawsuit against the women, alleging that she was still very much a partner in their business, and claimed 10% of Something About Her. In addition, Penny “would be paid $7,500 a month, which would ultimately increase to $10,000 in January 2024.”
As Daily Mail reported, Ariana and Katie filed an opposition and a trademark request as Penny and her company, Put A Fork In It LLC have full ownership of the pending Something About Her trademark.
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Fans Have Mixed Feelings About The Sandwiches
After Something About Her opened its doors, staff members from BuzzFeed gave the lowdown on what people can expect.BuzzFeed staff writers Shelby Heinrich and Lara Parker arrived at the shop’s opening day and revealed they waited three and a half hours to finally get their sandwich orders.
| Something About Her Menu Items | Prices |
|---|---|
| The Diane (Artisan Baguette, Sicilian Style Tuna Salad W/ Olive Oil, Sunflower Microgreens, Marinated Fennel, Preserved Lemon, Fresh Dill | $16 |
| The Kerry (Toasted, Grain Bread, Chickpea Salad, Kelp Flakes, Marinated Fennel, Perserved Lemon, Kalamata Olives, Fennel Fronds, Gem Letttuce | $15 |
| The Reese (Grain Bread, Chef’s Chicken Salad, Small Batch Balsamic Mustard, Gem Lettuce | $16 |
| The Drew (Artisan Baguette, Whipped Chive-Infused Goat Cheese, Mango Jalapeño Jam, Shaved Pink Lady Apple, Cucumber, Olive Oil, Rich Balsamic Glaze, Arugula, Fresh Mint *Add Prosciutto $4 | $14 |
| The Kate (Rustic Ciabatta, Burrata, Heirloom Tomatoes, Shallots, Homemade Balsmatic Onion Marmalade, Oregano, Fresh Basil | $16 |
| The Cameron (Rustic Ciabatta, Pesto Garlic Aioli, Genoa Salami, Sopressata, Mortadella, Roasted Red Peppers, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Peperoncinis, Red Onion, Smoked Provolone, Homemade Balsamic Onion Marmalade, Fresh Basil, Zesty Lemon Dressed Arugula | $18 |
| The Viola (Golden Sourdough Grilled, Smoked Turkey, Chipotle Mayo, Roasted Red Peppers, Homemade Balsamic Onion Marmalade, Smoked Gouda, Shaved Cucumber, Red Onion *Without Turkey $14 | $17 |
After getting their selfie with both Ariana and Katie, the women ordered three different types of sandwiches. According to a photo of the menu, sandwich prices ranged from an $11 grilled cheese to an $18 Italian meat sandwich.
The only thing the women did not enjoy about their sandwiches was the bread, which they believed was way too tough.
Speaking about “The Drew” sandwich which consisted of whipped chive-infused goat cheese, shaved pink lady apples, and arugula, they shared:
“As for a rating, we gave this sandwich an 8.5/10, with points being lost because the bread was tougher than we preferred. But if you like tougher bread, don’t listen to us!”
Both staff writers would say the same about one other sandwich they ordered. In addition, they believed a sandwich called “The Viola” was way too small to be $17.
Interestingly, Elite Daily staff writer Rachel Chapman, who also visited Something About Her, felt the same way about the sandwich bread.
“Helpful hint: The bread you choose for a sandwich can really make or break your experience. Sure, everything inside your sandwich matters too, but if the bread is too hard, it can be annoying.”
She added, “Unfortunately, bad bread affected my experience at Something About Her.”
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Something About Her Is A Tourist Spot
Vanderpump Rules has become such a big hit with viewers that the clientele for Something About Her is most likely tourists. Just as Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR Restaurant and Lounge has become a hot spot for tourists visiting West Hollywood, Something About Her appears to be more of a place for fans of the Bravo show to check out and even get a chance to meet both Ariana and Katie.
As Rachel shared, with Something About Her being in a “bougie neighborhood” (it is located down the street from SUR), the prices of the sandwiches are over the top and a tourist would pay for the experience. A local most-likely won’t be waiting in line for an hour for an $18 sandwich.
“It’s hard to justify spending almost $20 on a sandwich more than once. They weren’t even big enough for us to save half for later,” Rachel said. She added, “If you are a fan, it’s a great stop to make on your filming locations tour in LA after checking out SUR or Schwartz & Sandy’s.”
Hopefully, both Ariana and Katie will be able to resolve all these setbacks.
