Lamar Bonaparte

American restaurateur (born 1976)

Lamar Bonaparte Sr. (born July 31, 1976) is an American restaurateur. He is best known for his partnership with his wife Leva Bonaparte.

Lamar Bonaparte Sr.
Born
Lamar Bonaparte Jr.

(1976-07-31) July 31, 1976 (age 48)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materSouth Carolina State University
OccupationRestaurateur
Years active2000–present
Spouse
(m. 2025)
Children1

Early life

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Lamar Bonaparte Jr. was born in Charleston, South Carolina on July 31,[1] 1976. He is the son of Lamar Bonaparte Sr. and Cynthia Bonaparte.[2]

Bonaparte graduated from South Carolina State University with his degree in accounting.[3]

Career

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Businesses

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Bonaparte has been working in the hospitality industry since, at least, 2000.[3]

Bonaparte founded Republic Development and Management Group (DMG), a marketing and event management firm, in 2011.[4]

Restaurants, bars and clubs

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Bonaparte and his wife own five[5] restaurants, bars and clubs in the Charleston area.[6]

Bonaparte made his debut as a restaurateur when he opened Republic Garden & Lounge[7] in the spring of 2013.[8][9] He opened his second establishment, Bourbon N' Bubbles,[10] on November 29, 2018.[11][12] He opened his third establishment, 1st Place,[13] on October 20, 2020.[14][15] He opened his fourth establishment, Mesu,[16] on September 25, 2019;[17] he co-owns the restaurant with Craig Conover.[18] Bonaparte opened his fifth establishment, Lamar's Sporting Club,[19] on August 25, 2023.[20][21]

Television

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Bonaparte made his television debut during a 2020 episode of the Bravo reality television series Southern Charm. He has made four appearances.[3]

Bonaparte has served as an executive producer[22] on a spin-off from Southern Charm, Southern Hospitality, since November 28, 2022.[23] The series follows his wife and the staff of their Charleston nightclub, Republic Garden & Lounge.[24]

Personal life

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Bonaparte married Leva Nowroozyani on April 25,[25] 2013. The couple met on her 29th birthday.[26] Their only child, Lamar "Little" Bonaparte Jr., was born on January 29, 2018.[27]

Filmography

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Year Title Notes Ref.
2020–2022 Southern Charm 4 episodes [28]
2022–present Southern Hospitality 2 episodes; also executive producer- 9 episodes [28]

References

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  1. Bonaparte, Lamar. "Lamar Bonaparte". Facebook. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  2. Yomary, Tatayana (January 9, 2023). "'Southern Hospitality's' Lamar Bonaparte Is Well-Off, but How Rich Is He?". Distractify. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Raphael, Shannon (October 1, 2020). "'Southern Hospitality' Star Leva Bonaparte Is Business Partners With Her Husband". Distractify. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  4. "How Lamar Made the Most Famous Club in Charleston". The Shrimp Tank. January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  5. Raphael, Shannon (November 7, 2022). "Leva and Lamar Bonaparte Have Four Charleston Restaurants". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  6. Feiner, Abby (November 6, 2020). "Leva Bonaparte Opens Up About Owning Restaurants with Her Husband Lamar". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  7. "Republic Garden & Lounge". Republic Garden & Lounge. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  8. Barna, Stephanie (May 25, 2012). "Republic Garden & Lounge opening in old Chai's". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  9. Carley, Brennan (November 29, 2022). "Southern Hospitality Series-Premiere Recap: What Hath Leva Bonaparte Wrought?". Vulture. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  10. "Bourbon N' Bubbles". Bourbon N' Bubbles. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  11. Bubbles, Bourbon N' (November 26, 2018). "Charleston's Bourbon N' Bubbles Announces Grand Opening This Thursday, November 29th". PR Newswire. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  12. Chambers, Hannah (October 21, 2020). "Southern Charm Newcomer Leva Bonaparte Shows Inside Her Luxurious Bar". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  13. "1st Place". 1st Place. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  14. Reports, Staff (February 25, 2020). "1st Place sports bar planned for upper King Street this Spring". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  15. Sinner, Holy City (October 13, 2020). "Charleston's Newest Sports Bar "1st Place" Announces Opening". Holy City Sinner. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  16. "Mesu". Mesu. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  17. Mader, Alison (September 24, 2019). "MESU set to offer Mexican/sushi fusion on King Street, opening Wednesday". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  18. Berg, Jenny (September 26, 2019). "Craig Conover Announces He's Going to Open a Mexican/Sushi Fusion Restaurant". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  19. "Lamar's Sporting Club". Lamar's Sporting Club. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  20. Wise, Warren L (August 9, 2023). "New Charleston restaurant opens Aug. 10; new culinary ventures replacing 2 shuttered cafes". Post and Courier. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  21. Espinoza, Joshua (August 28, 2023). "Leva Bonaparte Celebrates the Launch of Her New Charleston Bar". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  22. "Lamar Bonaparte". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  23. Cordero, Rosy (May 12, 2022). "Bravo Greenlights Three New Unscripted Series: 'Real Girlfriends in Paris,' 'Southern Charm: Leva Land' & 'XSCAPE /SWV'". Deadline. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  24. Tinoco, Armando (October 17, 2022). "'Southern Charm' Spinoff 'Southern Hospitality' Drops Trailer Plus Premiere Date & Has Leva Bonaparte Calling The Shots". Deadline. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  25. Bonaparte, Leva (April 25, 2017). "Time flies I realize today 💍". Instagram. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  26. Raphael, Shannon (November 30, 2022). "Southern Hospitality: Leva Says Husband Lamar "Throws the Hammer Down" at Republic". Bravo TV Official Site. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  27. Quinn, Dave (December 28, 2023). "Leva Bonaparte Levels Up: How the Southern Hospitality Boss Built an Empire in Charleston". People. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  28. 28.0 28.1 "Lamar Bonaparte". IMDb. Retrieved January 13, 2024.