Have you ever been “sluttified?” Should you’ve ever been to Slutty Vegan in Atlanta, likelihood is, you’re in all probability now a brilliant fan of Pinky Cole Hayes’ juicy plant-based quick meals. Should you haven’t tried it but, don’t fear: your time is coming. In 2022, the celebrity-approved burger joint (Tyler Perry, Snoop Dogg, and Shaquille O’Neal are all within the Slutty Vegan fan membership) secured $25 million to finance 20 new places throughout the US.
However why is Slutty Vegan such an enormous deal? It’s all all the way down to founder Cole Hayes’ willpower, dedication, and fervour for constructing a mission-led enterprise. However, in fact, actually great-tasting meals additionally performs an enormous function. Right here’s every part it’s good to find out about Slutty Vegan and the place you will discover it, plus a bit bit extra about what you possibly can order if you get there. However only a warning: you might begin to drool.
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Who’s Pinky Cole Hayes?
With out Cole Hayes, it’s protected to say, there wouldn’t be a Slutty Vegan; she is the life, blood, and soul of the enterprise. The chain’s founder, who additionally now owns one other bar in Atlanta, is a profitable entrepreneur, cookbook writer, and philanthropist. Nevertheless it hasn’t been a straightforward experience to the highest.
Born in Baltimore, Cole Hayes has described herself as a “hustler” from a younger age. Whereas her father was incarcerated, her mom had no alternative however to work a number of jobs and lift 4 youngsters by herself. That arduous-working spirit and resilience rubbed off on Cole Hayes.
“I simply all the time needed to double no matter I had occurring,” she informed Bitter Southerner in 2019. “I by no means stopped at ok. I all the time needed to simply excel and exceed my mother or father’s expectations and to have the ability to put my household ready the place they didn’t must work.”
Initially, she launched into a profession in TV manufacturing, however ultimately left to start out her personal restaurant in New York. Pinky’s Jamaican and American Restaurant was a roaring success, however she ended up shedding every part in a fireplace and returning to the TV world. A job with the Oprah Winfrey Community took her again to Atlanta, the place she first attended college, and it was there that she determined to strive pursuing a profession in meals once more.
Influenced by her mom’s vegetarianism, Cole Hayes eats plant-based. However after struggling to seek out good vegan meals in Atlanta, the concept for a brand new plant-based restaurant was born. And the remainder, as they are saying, is historical past. Slutty Vegan has gone from energy to energy because it first began in 2018. And Cole Hayes has used that platform to assist her group.
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The Pinky Cole Basis strives to “empower generations of shade to win in life,” and in 2019, she used it to repay school debt for 30 college students at Clark Atlanta College. She additionally helped present school scholarships to the 4 youngsters of Rayshard Brooks, who was fatally shot by Atlanta police in June 2020. And in the identical yr, she provided 30 former juvenile offenders school scholarships and jobs in her eating places.
On the time, Cole Hayes mentioned that serving to children in the neighborhood is what Slutty Vegan and the inspiration is all about. “That is greater than about burgers and fries,” she mentioned. “It’s about serving to these younger males change their lives.”
The resounding success of Slutty Vegan
The concept for Slutty Vegan actually got here to Cole Hayes in the course of the evening. “I sat up on my mattress, and I believed, Slutty Vegan. It simply got here to me like a lightweight bulb,” she mentioned. “I instantly went within the kitchen and began pondering of recipes and names like Sloppy Toppy, One Evening Stand, Fussy Hussy. And the subsequent factor I do know, I used to be in a shared kitchen cooking meals.”
That shared kitchen led to a meals truck, which opened in July 2018. The demand was overwhelming, and the success led to a brick-and-mortar location shortly after in January 2019. Clients queued for seven hours to strive Cole Hayes’ juicy, loaded Slutty burgers. “That is too good to be vegan. That is actually good,” Perry mentioned when he visited. Even Usher mentioned the patty made him really feel “frisky.”
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Cole Hayes grew to become a millionaire in lower than six months, however she was removed from completed. There are actually 10 Slutty Vegan places open and working, in addition to one location on the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park stadium, a fleet of meals vans, and plans to maintain increasing throughout the nation. In 2021, you possibly can even discover a Slutty Vegan burger, designed by Cole Hayes, at Shake Shack.
“I like surprises, so I received’t give an excessive amount of away,” Cole Hayes acknowledged in an essay for Insider final yr. “We’re opening extra places, and we plan to get into the TV and movie business. I don’t wish to waste this chance, so I’m throwing every part on the wall to see what sticks.”
What number of places of Slutty Vegan are there?
Proper now, there are Slutty Vegan eating places in Ralph David and Edgewood in Atlanta, GA. Throughout the state, there are additionally spots at Georgia Tech, Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park, Jonesboro, and Gwinnett County. There are additionally 4 places at the moment exterior of the state, in Birmingham, AL; Harlem and Brooklyn, NY; and Dallas, TX.
In 2022, Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer backed Slutty Vegan in a financing spherical, which is able to assist the chain preserve increasing. “I obtained the Michael Jordan of meals on my group,” Cole Hayes informed For[bes] the Tradition on the time. “I had by no means seen vegan meals offered in such a enjoyable method. Leaders are sometimes outlined by the diploma to which individuals wish to comply with them, and I noticed folks following the chief,” Meyer added.
Vegan meals at Slutty Vegan
For a style of Cole Hayes’ meals, you should purchase Slutty Vegan’s Slut Mud straight from the restaurant’s web site. You can even order her cookbook, Eat Crops, B*tch. Or you possibly can, in fact, head straight to one among her eating places. And if you get there, right here’s what you possibly can order.
Slutty Vegan
1 Loaded plant-based patties
Slutty Vegan is finest recognized for its burgers for a motive. We’re not speaking about customary vegan cheeseburgers right here, oh no. Put together to get actually messy. We’re speaking sauce throughout your face and palms, but it surely’s going to be value it. Every burger choice comes with a Past Meat patty, after which it’s loaded up with toppings like guacamole, caramelized onions, vegan bacon, cheese, vegan shrimp, salad, and the model’s personal signature Slut Sauce.
Slutty Vegan
2 Vegan shrimp
If you wish to bask in Slutty Vegan’s crispy vegan shrimp, which is cooked in a New Orleans-inspired batter, go for the Ménage à Trois burger. The tasty handheld is loaded up with a beefy Past patty, vegan bacon, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, and Slut Sauce.
3 Plant-based bratwurst
There are two methods to take pleasure in Slutty Vegan’s tremendous meaty reply to plant-based bratwurst. The primary is within the Massive Dawg, which is loaded up with sauerkraut and Slut Sauce. Or one among its best-sellers is its Sneaky Hyperlink, which is identical plant-based bratwurst, solely this time it’s topped with beans, peppers, onions, and spices within the type of Hawt Toddy Chili.
4 Candy jerk plantain
Plantains are a well-liked a part of delicacies in Jamaica, the place each of Cole Hayes’ mother and father are from. So, paying homage to her heritage, in addition to vegan meats and cheese on the Slutty Vegan menu, you can too discover candy jerk plantain. For one thing a bit candy and savory, go for the Dancehall Queen, which is a plant-based patty loaded with plantains, in addition to onions, tomato, lettuce, vegan cheese, and sauce.
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5 Vegan rooster
Should you’ve obtained a yearning for fried rooster, don’t fear about heading all the way down to KFC. Slutty Vegan has you lined with the Chik’n Head sandwich, which options Incogmeato vegan rooster tossed in buffalo sauce and served with pickles, ranch, and coleslaw. For the children, you can too seize 4 Past Chik’n Tenders with fries or fruit and a carton of juice.
6 Philly cheesesteak
Historically, a Philly cheesesteak sandwich is slices of beefsteak loaded with melted cheese in a protracted, flat, hoagie roll. However Slutty Vegan has taken this idea and sluttified it, making it higher than ever. The Hollywood Hooker is a deliciously messy mixture of vegan steak, jalapeños, bell peppers, onions, vegan provolone, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mayo.
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7 Sides
And, in fact, a meal isn’t actually full with out a aspect. And once more, Slutty Vegan doesn’t disappoint. For traditional fries, order the Slutty Fries, that are common fries lined with the chain’s signature “slut mud.” For one thing a bit extra sturdy, the chain’s Hawt Toddy chili—made with beans, peppers, onions, and a medley of spices—will remedy any starvation pains.
8 Candy treats
Should you’ve nonetheless obtained room, then Slutty Vegan additionally has just a few choices to fulfill your candy tooth. Choose places supply slushies, candy potato pie, dairy-free ice cream, and the model’s personal tackle banana pudding, which options, look ahead to it, sea moss. However don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, we’ve heard it’s completely scrumptious.
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Charlotte is a author and editor primarily based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
