Watch Out, Lisa Vanderpump! Jax Taylor Is Getting into the Restaurant Game
The #PumpRules SURver dishes on his new business.
Over the course of four seasons on Vanderpump Rules we've seen Jax Taylor working hard — and sometimes, well, not so hard — for Lisa Vanderpump at SUR. But now the model/bartender is ready to step out and give the restaurant business a try for himself. Earlier this month, he opened his own restaurant, NOW, in Ventura, California. And it's an endeavor he can't help but gush about.
"I just bought a restaurant, so I'm an investor with two other guys. It's an Italian restaurant/lounge. It kind of resembles PUMP, but it's got some TVs, so it's a sports bar as well," he told The Daily Dish. "That's going to take up a lot of my time. That's a really big deal. It's my first thing I've ever owned."
The move doesn't come as a complete surprise, as he's learned a thing or two from his time working at Lisa's umbrella of restaurants. "I've learned what not to do. I've been such a, probably, s***ty employee that now I know what to look for in employees," Jax said. "But it's something that I own, so I'm going to take pride in it. I take pride in working at SUR and working at PUMP, but this is something that's mine and I'm really excited about it. I feel like I've accomplished something."
Despite Lisa's experience in the restaurant world, Jax didn't go to his boss for any words of wisdom prior to opening NOW. (But he didn't stray too far from Pump, either.) Jax is an investor alongside Rani John and former Puddle of Mud bassist Michael Grajewski, both of whom worked at PUMP. "I didn't [ask Lisa for any advice]. I learned everything I cold from Lisa, Ken, and [co-owner] Guillermo, and I kind of went to the war room with my buddy who also worked at PUMP [as] a manager, so we kind of just put our money together and opened a restaurant."
And, yes, there is someone from SUR who he'd enlist to work at his spot, which he hopes to expand throughout the L.A. area in the future. "The whole idea is were going to open like five of them. So it'll be like NOW Ventura, NOW Santa Monica, NOW West Hollywood," he said, adding that he'd love to someday employ SUR manager Peter Madrigal. "He's just got great work ethic. He's very strong. He's a good employee, good guy," Jax explained. "Everyone loves Peter."
You can check out Jax, Peterm and the rest of the SURvers when Vanderpump Rules airs Mondays at 9/8c. And if you want to see Jax doing something else he does best — modeling — check out the clip, below.
