Pinky Cole, CEO and founder of Slutty Vegan ATL, has purchased a building in Birmingham’s Woodlawn community for her first location outside the state of Georgia, the company this week announced in a press release. Birmingham will be the fourth location for the Atlanta-based restaurant known for its plant-based burgers.
“The Woodlawn area is a culturally rich neighborhood that reminded me of my very first location in the West End of Atlanta,” Cole said in the release. “We specifically wanted to go into food deserts and locations right in the middle of economic and community revitalization.”
Cole dreamed up the Slutty Vegan concept in summer 2018 and launched her first brick-and-mortar location by January 2019. “The ear-catching business name is born from the menu’s playful approach to vegan food, and the menu is full of more memorable phrases one must speak to order,” according to the release. For example, Cole’s most popular burger is the “One Night Stand,” a patty loaded with vegan bacon, vegan cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and slutty sauce on a vegan Hawaiian bun.
“It has truly been an honor to work as the real estate broker on the team that brought the visionary Pinky Cole and Slutty Vegan ATL to the Magic City and the great state of Alabama,” Abra Barnes, Qualifying Broker at Barnes & Associates, said in the release. “Pinky understands the power of real estate ownership; it’s a requirement for her when she approaches any new market. By layering ownership with philanthropic work and small business mentorship, she goes into inner-city neighborhoods and uses the Slutty Vegan Concepts as a catalyst for revitalization.”
Cole purchased the building from REV Birmingham, an economic development and place-based revitalization nonprofit that also owns more commercial property in Woodlawn. REV’s property ownership strategy supports its mission to “create vibrant commercial districts in two ways: getting rid of blighting influences and being a catalyst for a business mix that improves residents’ quality of life and provides a growth opportunity for small business owners, particularly minority/women-owned or disadvantaged business owners.”
Slutty Vegan will open in Birmingham in 2021. In the next 18 months, Slutty Vegan is looking to acquire additional properties for a total of 13 locations. “It feels good to be a black woman in business right now,” Cole said. “We are representing black excellence and will continue to do so as we bring Slutty Vegan to Birmingham.” Cole earlier this month acquired a property in Old Fourth Ward to house the company’s headquarters. Cole paid $1.4 MM for the space, formerly owned by Grant Henry of nearby Sister Louisa’s Church.
5 Responses
Wow! I guess selling unhealthy vegan fast food is a good business to be in!
Is it unhealthy??
Yes. Just like any other fast food or processed foods, it contains high amounts of sugar, sodium, fats, and oils– to give it flavor etc.
The Impossible Burger (which they use) also contains a genetically modified form of
Soy Leghemoglobin– it’s what makes the burger ‘bleed.’
Are these the kind of ingredients we want to continue to feed people in ‘food deserts?’
And at $11-19 a burger– really???
Right – also – being lets think about the race card being used here. When all other business are also hurting….
Well, some people enjoy vegan fast food every once in a while. Should there not be a place for them to go?