On Her Charleston Nightclub: IT'S LIKE ANIMAL HOUSE!

There's never a dull moment in the Southern Charm star's new spinoff, Southern Hospitality

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Leva Bonaparte doesn’t mind the comparisons between Vanderpump Rules and her new show, Southern Hospitality, the Southern Charm spinoff series that follows employees at Leva’s trendy Charleston, S.C., club, Republic. “ Vanderpump Rules is one of my favorite shows,” says the 43-year-old reality star. “I love how vulnerable and real they are.” But she says Republic is very different from Vanderpump’s upscale Los Angeles eatery, Sur. “On a Friday night at 11 p.m., you’ve got 150 people outside on line. It’s adrenaline and chaos. It’s like Animal House,” she adds, “and everyone has to be on their game.” Here, Leva — who shares son Lamar Jr., 4, with her husband of nearly 10 years, Lamar — talks to In Touch’s Fortune Benatar about keeping her employees in line, where she stands with her Southern Charm castmates, and the two Real Housewives who left her starstruck.

Working at Republic sounds intense! LB: This is not a business for the faint of heart. You’ve got to leave your personal stuff at the door. Maybe you had a fight with your boyfriend and he works here, too, but you’ve got to control the ego. You need to be confident.

How do you handle employee drama? LB: Sometimes I get pretty upset. But I understand they’re young, and young people make mistakes. I always say it’s like having a racehorse: It’s expensive and a lot of maintenance, but when they win, they win.