Katie Maloney Responds to Backlash Over Sandwich Shop

Credit: Bravo

Katie Maloney is speaking out after facing backlash for selling merch for her and Ariana Madix‘s yet-to-be-opened sandwich shop, Something About Her.

After Katie, 36, and Ariana, 38, pushed back their opening date once again, the Vanderpump Rules star reacted to the criticism she’s received while also explaining their ongoing delays and admitting that when it came to season 10, she was still “attached” to her ex-husband, Tom Schwartz, 40.

“There’s been like, all these weird conspiracy theories that it’s like we’re scamming people and [the sandwich shop is] a front just to sell merch,” Katie shared on the December 12 episode of the Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe podcast. “I’m like, ‘That’s a really expensive thing that we did just to sell merch.’”

“Take your tinfoil hats off, it ain’t a conspiracy theory,” she added.

According to Katie, she and Ariana’s sandwich shop has “been met with a lot of red tape” when it comes to the inspections, licenses, and permits needed to open.

“West Hollywood is different than Los Angeles County,” she explained. “West Hollywood has their own set of [protocols] and things you have to like, meet … It doesn’t matter what the establishment is … We have to meet certain standards that the Health Department requires us to meet.”

“We have to have a fire department come and cross off those things… And sometimes, those things take time,” Katie continued. “Sometimes you’re trying to plan this out for like weeks, and sometimes you have to have those things fixed. It requires having a contractor come in, and that takes time. You think that if I had it my way, we would be taking this long? No. But also, I remember when Ariana and I met with consultants, they said just to prepare you, this isn’t like open and shut in like six months. It can take 24 to 36 months… So technically, by what the consultants have said, we’re on schedule for opening, it’s just that things take a long time.”

As for what Katie is excited for fans to see on Pump Rules season 11, she explained that after being in an “emotional” place with Schwartz last year, she was able to come into her own as a single woman.

“I’m excited for people to see me… for the first time like, single,” she declared. “Last year I was like, we’re going through a divorce, and I still was very like, attached to Tom, and it was a really hard season. I was like. really emotional. But this season, it was just like, very single.”

“I’m dating a lot. I’m having fun… And then also you’re going to see a lot more of the process of the sandwich shop,” she added.

Vanderpump Rules season 11 premieres on January 30 at 8/7c on Bravo.