If you have been patiently waiting to get “sluttified,” there’s good news: Pinky Cole-Hayes is expanding her Slutty Vegan empire to three more outposts to help millions of people lose their v-card.
The vegan chain is known for its sinful plant-based burgers, with names such as the Ménage à Trois, loaded with vegan bacon, shrimp, and cheese. The energy at the Slutty Vegan locations matches the menu’s playful vibe with employees—and sometimes celebrities—welcoming “virgins” and announcing their “slutffied” status for everyone to celebrate.
Slutty Vegan
And the crowds always descend on a new outpost, forming long lines and often turning into de facto block parties. Slutty Vegan has brought down the house in Atlanta, Brooklyn, Harlem, Birmingham, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Now, Cole-Hayes has her eyes set on Nashville, Florida, and the world’s busiest airport.
Slutty Vegan pops up in Nashville and Florida
Nashville is about to get sluttified with Slutty Vegan set to bring its electrifying pop-up residency to Music City from August 1 to August 7. Located at 6917 Lenox Village Drive, the pop-up will operate from 5pm to 10pm daily, serving its plant-based food and high-energy atmosphere.
While Nashville’s Slutty Vegan pop-up will last one week, a month-long August residency is also slated for Brandon, FL.
Slutty Vegan
The Nashville and Florida pop-ups are expected to be equally popular, with fans lining up to taste meatless burgers like The One Night Stand and the Fussy Hussy, served with Slutty Fries dusted with the restaurant’s signature “Slut Dust.”
Cole-Hayes explained the nuances behind the viral brand in a video interview with USA Today. “It’s just a little bit of ghetto; it’s just a little bit of fun; it’s just a little bit of energy but it’s all sophisticated and professional and organized,” Cole-Hayes said. “So it’s like an oxymoron. You get the best of both worlds.”
“When the business is showing up, people are adapting to the business and they want more,” Cole-Hayes said.
The Nashville and Florida pop-ups follow a wildly successful residency in Los Angeles at Nomoo New American Burgers, which ran from June 24 to July 24. As per usual, the LA pop-up drew crowds eager to indulge in Slutty Vegan’s famous plant-based creations.
Slutty Vegan
Cole-Hayes initially launched Slutty Vegan in 2018 by selling burgers via Instagram from her apartment, quickly transitioning to a food truck and then a brick-and-mortar location due to overwhelming demand. After securing $25 million in funding, the entrepreneur has been expanding the chain strategically, first in the Atlanta metro area but more recently, outside of Georgia.
These pop-ups are meant to test out locations for potential permanent locations of Slutty Vegan.
Slutty Vegan at the airport
By the end of 2024, Slutty Vegan will also open a location at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Located in Concourse B, this outpost will include a bar and offer the full Slutty Vegan menu, making it the airport’s first fully plant-based restaurant.
The Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, known for being the busiest airport in the world, sees over 104.6 million passengers annually.
Slutty Vegan
This strategic move is part of Slutty Vegan’s broader mission to popularize plant-based eating and initiate conversations about vegan food within communities affected by high rates of hypertension, cholesterol, and obesity.
“Given that Atlanta Airport is the busiest airport in the country, with high foot traffic, we expect it to be one of our busiest locations,” Jason Crain, Slutty Vegan’s founding partner and chief revenue officer, told ’Food Chain Magazine.’
In 2023, Slutty Vegan also expanded its presence in non-traditional channels, opening locations at Spelman College, Georgia Tech, and Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.
Much like its Los Angeles and Nashville pop-ups, the company also deployed its food truck to 10 new cities to test the market and gather demographic data to inform future site selections.
The menu at Slutty Vegan (and its sister concept Bar Vegan) continues to evolve, as well. The chain recently partnered with plant-based steak company Chunk Foods to introduce a vegan pulled brisket sandwich called “The Big Meat” and a 4-ounce steak entrée at select locations through September.
Slutty Vegan
For dessert, Slutty Vegan tapped entrepreneur Angela Simmons, who is supplying the chain with Vegan Fried Oreos during the same time frame.
Pinky Cole-Hayes on the rise
The driving force behind the Slutty Vegan empire, Cole-Hayes continues to break new ground. Recently, the entrepreneur and philanthropist was named the inaugural Creative Visionary in Residence at Revolt, a leading Black-owned multimedia company.
Cole-Hayes was chosen because her journey is a testament to resilience, vision, and building up communities around her. “We’re excited to welcome Pinky Cole Hayes as the inaugural Revolt Creative Visionary in Residence,” Detavio Samuels, CEO of Revolt, said in a statement.
“Pinky has always been committed to making a positive impact on Black communities and building successful brands in unconventional spaces,” Samuels said.
Beyond her business ventures, Cole-Hayes is deeply involved in philanthropy. Through the Pinky Cole Foundation, she has initiated numerous projects to support Black-owned businesses and communities.
Drea Nicole Photography
She also creates social media campaigns to support struggling businesses and fellow entrepreneurs, using her platform for something she calls “group economics experiments.” Through this concept, this month, Cole-Hayes helped The Sistah Shop avoid eviction by leveraging her fans to raise more than $30,000 for the Black-owned business.
“I’m very excited to join Revolt as the first Creative Visionary in Residence,” Cole-Hayes said in a statement. “As someone deeply committed to challenging norms and amplifying Black voices, this is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with like-minded creatives and bring dynamic projects to life.”
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Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
