Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney Counter Their Sandwich Shop Chef's Lawsuit

Reality stars Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney aren't the first Vanderpump Rules cast members to start their own side hustle around a culinary or cocktail experience.

As fans well know, Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz previously launched a bar aptly named Tom Tom.

Unfortunately it seems that Ariana and Katie have had nothing but trouble since opening their sandwich shop, Something About Her, in West Hollywood.

The latest drama involves a lawsuit brought against the stars by a chef they partnered with. Read on to find out the details of the suit — and what Ariana and Katie have to say about it.

With sandwiches named after actors like The Cameron and The Drew, and a line that at times has stretched around the block, Something About Her has enjoyed its fair share of buzz, although some reviews have been less than stellar.

As of September 2024, Something About Her is in the news for a not-so-desirable reason, as chef and the ladies' business partner, Penny Davidi, has alleged in a lawsuit that Ariana and Katie have not upheld their end of the bargain from their original agreement from June 2023.

Despite its Victorian decor, the shop is a fast casual restaurant, with a menu featuring “elevated classics with something unexpected” and according to the VPR alums, diners are meant to feel like they've bitten into sandwiches as if Katie and Ariana “just made it fresh from their home kitchen.”

Per People, Penny says she's entitled to 10 percent of the partnership, as her title was COO/Director of Culinary, with job duties to "direct, oversee, and supervise culinary and restaurant operations." Her role involved "a host of agreed-upon tasks, responsibilities, participation, and authority in the management of the partnership".

In a court filing, the chef says the agreement stipulated she would be paid $7,500 per month in "management fees," and then $10,000 per month as of January 2024.

Meanwhile, Penny claims per RadarOnline that the agreement between herself and the Something About Her owners was "oral, implied in fact and by conduct, and confirmed by 'writing' [as defined by law]...including video and audio recordings'" and "payments made and performance."

Ariana and Katie are saying none of the chef's claims are true.

In a court filing of their own, the reality stars allege that Penny's facts are plain wrong. The women “deny each and every material complaint” per the official court documents.

Furthermore, the Bravolebrities claim that Penny's lawsuit revolves around "hypothetical facts."

The case is now headed to court, per People, at which point fans will see who is telling the truth and who isn't.

In the meantime, if you want to see Katie and Ariana planning the opening of Something About Her, you can watch Vanderpump Rules Season 11 on Bravo. Penny is briefly featured on the show.