Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney’s Something About Her Is Finally Open! All About the Rom Com-Inspired Sandwich Shop-thao

"This has been such a labor of love and we're so proud of it," Maloney tells PEOPLE

Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney are officially in business together!

The Vanderpump Rules costars' Los Angeles sandwich shop, Something About Her, officially opens to the public on Wednesday, May 22 — and it was a long time coming. Since Madix and Maloney first announced plans to open the shop in 2022, permitting issues and other logistics caused delays.

Despite it all, the women tell PEOPLE that they never lost faith in each other.  

“We both believed that it would always happen, that we were going to make it happen,” says Madix. “But there was definitely some moments of deep breathing at times when something else would pop up, and you just have to take a second.”

“I don't think it was ever a moment of this won't happen, but it was just kind of like, 'Okay, but how much longer are we talking?'” Maloney adds to PEOPLE. “'Are we talking weeks or months at this point?'”

Maloney says “relinquishing control” helped her “trust the process more.” As a newbie in the restaurant business, Madix calls it an "incredible learning experience."

The setbacks make the adorable, femme and frilly shop all the more worth it. They were inspired by Nancy Meyers movies when it came to the interior design and the menu. Even the name itself is meant to be reminiscent of a romantic comedy.

“We talked about names of flowers, and I think we wanted it to sound like a movie title, not really sound like a sandwich shop because it was much more to us than that,” says Maloney.

And one thing was for sure: “We didn't want any sandwich puns," says Madix.

If the shop is the rom com, then the menu items are the characters. The sandwiches (ranging in price from $14-$18) are named after leading ladies like Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz. When asked how they assigned each a menu item, Madix says, “I feel like we were tasting things and we were just like, 'This feels right for this.'" Maloney echos: “'Yeah, this tastes like a Drew, or this definitely tastes like a Reese.'”

The Nancy (after Meyers) is a classic B.L.T. “We were like, 'Well, Nancy is so classic.' So that's kind of how we started assigning names,” says Madix. 

A stand-out offering is the Diane (as in Diane Keaton), which includes an artisan baguette as its base, topped with Sicilian-style tuna salad, olive oil, sunflower microgreens, marinated fennel, preserved lemon and fresh dill. 

“We started with some…of the most classic sandwiches that you would really want to see on a menu, and then just go from there and elevate them and make them just different from what you would normally see at any other sandwich shop or deli,” says Maloney.

As for the actual space, Madix and Maloney quite literally took a page from Meyers’ book. A production designer on her films, Jon Hutman, assisted them in bringing their “huge vision” to life, helping them incorporate hand-painted chandeliers, brainstorm new color choices and even visualize a trellis setup.

“The design just really focuses on keeping things cozy,” says Madix. “There's a lot of fun that happens in West Hollywood, and on this block in particular." (Lisa Vanderpump's SUR is located just down the street.)

"Of course, we want people to have fun, but at the same time, this is a place where they're able to just sit down and take a moment out of their day to enjoy a sandwich and a glass of wine, maybe," adds Madix.

Maloney agrees: “From the colors and the pillows and the lighting, it just feels very cozy and warm and inviting — the food, the company, all of it.”

Is there a chance Vanderpump Rules fans will run into them there? "Definitely," says Maloney. "This has been such a labor of love and we're so proud of it. So being here, it's definitely important."

"We'll both be here as much as we can in some capacity," says Madix. "But we want the sandwiches and this wonderful place to be the star of the show, not us."