'Southern Charm' Star Leva Bonaparte and Her Husband Own Several Top Charleston Restaurants
Updated Nov. 28 2022, 1:24 p.m. ET
Season 7 of Southern Charm welcomed Charleston, S.C.-based reality star, Leva Bonaparte. Along with being a full-time wife and mother of two, Leva has earned her spot among the most decorated businesswomen in the city.
She and her husband, Lamar, own and operate several family businesses that are at the center of Bravo’s new spinoff series — Southern Hospitality. Along with Republic Garden & Lounge, Leva is the owner of three other hot spots in the heart of downtown. So, how many restaurants does Leva own altogether? Read on to find out!
How many restaurants does Leva Bonaparte own?
If Republic Garden & Lounge looks familiar, that’s because it is. Leva’s lounge has been used as a filming location for Southern Charm on more than one occasion. But that’s not the only successful business that the Southern Hospitality star has under her belt.
In addition, Leva and her husband also have three other bars located on King Street.
Their premium sports bar — 1st Place — unsurprisingly has gleaming reviews on Google. And then, there’s Mesu, a fusion restaurant with a whole lot of flare. The eatery, which offers a menu of Mexican food and sushi, invites guests to come and enjoy Mesu’s “bold flavors, exotic plates, and well-crafted cocktails.”
Lastly, they own Bubbles N’ Bourbon, which has also been seen on past episodes of Southern Charm. Southern Charm matriarch Patricia Altschul has her own private liquor locker there.
In a November interview with The List, Leva shared the key to running not one, but four, wildly successful businesses. According to the Southern Hospitality star, it’s all about who you hire. “I love that my staff is warm and sweet,” she told the outlet.
“At most nightclubs, you'll walk up, and the guy at the door is not friendly at all. Here, I'm like, ‘This is the South; I want you to be kind and warm.’ People are coming here to spend good money and spend a special day of their lives with us.”
Fans will get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to join the DMG Republic family on Bravo’s Southern Hospitality, airing Monday, Nov. 28 on Bravo.
Leva Bonaparte is the star of the Bravo spinoff show ‘Southern Hospitality’.
Promos for Southern Hospitality give viewers a first look at Republic’s colorful staff. Although the series appears to follow the format of Lisa Vanderpump’s Vanderpump Rules. Leva debunked comparisons ahead of the Season 1 premiere of Southern Hospitality.
“Everyone’s like, ‘oh, Vanderpump Rules,’ just comparing it to a lot of things. But it’s definitely our own business,” Leva told Slice.
“It’s a restaurant group. The kids work not only at Republic but across the board. It’s very sales oriented. So if you compare it to other shows, like real estate shows, there’s some similarity there.”
You can tune into Southern Hospitality Mondays at 9 p.m. EST on Bravo!