Atlanta Housewife & Slutty Vegan Founder Pinky Cole Files Bankruptcy
Atlanta Housewife & Slutty Vegan Founder Pinky Cole Files Bankruptcy
- Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to mounting financial pressures.
- Slutty Vegan expanded rapidly to 14 locations, but more than half have since closed.
- Despite the bankruptcy, Slutty Vegan continues to operate in select markets as Cole restructures her personal finances.
Aisha “Pinky” Cole, the entrepreneur behind the Slutty Vegan brand, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to federal court documents filed in Atlanta.
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Cole, who built a national following with her boldly branded vegan burger chain, is now restructuring her personal finances after years of rapid expansion and mounting financial pressure. Records show she owes approximately $1.2 million to the U.S. Small Business Administration tied to a COVID-era relief loan. She also reportedly owes nearly $192,000 in taxes to the Georgia Department of Revenue.
Slutty Vegan first launched in 2018 as a ghost kitchen in Atlanta. The concept quickly gained attention for its plant-based comfort food and edgy sandwich names. At its peak, the brand expanded to 14 locations nationwide, becoming one of the most recognizable Black-owned vegan restaurant chains in the country. However, more than half of those locations have since closed.
Cole stepped down as CEO last year and no longer owns Slutty Vegan Inc. or its associated retail and real estate entities. According to filings, she has transferred certain assets into a trust as part of an effort to liquidate and distribute them to creditors. Still, she maintains an 85% stake in her Slutty Vegan franchise operations, and several locations — including those in Baltimore — remain open.
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Her Baltimore expansion was once positioned as a major milestone. In 2024, she opened a highly anticipated location at Rye Street Market alongside a revamped Bar Vegan concept. The project was meant to serve as a centerpiece in the Baltimore Peninsula development. At one point, she was even described as a symbol of the development’s ambition and growth.
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Behind the scenes, though, financial strain had been building. In 2024, Cole let go of top executives and sold off a $10 million real estate portfolio to offset rising construction and operating costs. She also closed multiple underperforming locations, including restaurants near Spelman College, Georgia Tech and in Harlem. Planned openings in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta’s airport were canceled.
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Court documents show Cole lists over $3.7 million in assets and roughly $3.6 million in liabilities. Among her assets are designer items and vehicles, including a branded bus used for the Slutty Vegan brand. The filings also note that she is currently listed as unemployed, though reports indicate she will appear as a cast member on the upcoming season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Despite the bankruptcy filing, Slutty Vegan continues to operate in select markets. For Cole, this filing appears to be a financial reset rather than the end of her entrepreneurial journey.
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Atlanta Housewife & Slutty Vegan Founder Pinky Cole Files Bankruptcy was originally published on rickeysmileymorningshow.com
