Slutty Vegan CEO Pinky Cole made a move to expand her rapidly growing empire when she opened a new location of the popular cheekily-titled restaurant in Dallas this past weekend.
Since its launch in 2018, the plant-based fast food chain has rooted most of its eateries in the eastern region; the Dallas location marks the first brick-and-mortar to debut in the Southwest. However, it also marks the fourth opening of 2023 for the brand so far, according to VegWorldMag. Dallas residents can travel to the historically Black area of Deep Ellum to take in some of the Slutty Vegan fan favorites. Cole has spoken openly about an investment into Black communities, including being intentional about where her restaurant’s plant roots are, as accessibility to healthy food options can still create hurdles for those in urban areas. Her brand shows people that “you don’t have to make a certain amount of money or live in a certain area to be vegan,” she said in an interview with The New Yorker.
Though Cole relishes in the “Black-owned” label her brand wears with pride, she knows it’s moved on to have crossover appeal. The locations now host people from all over who show up for the experience at any of her 10 sites. “This ain’t a Black thing,” Cole said. “There’s people who are Black, white, yellow, blue, Asian, green. We’re trying to reach them all.”
Along with dominance in the plant-based lane, Cole has expanded into the literary world. Last year, her cookbook featuring 91 vegan recipes, Eat Plants, B*tch, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Instructional Literary Work. The 35-year-old also celebrated a major $100 million valuation after a $25 million Series A fundraising round in 2022.
If you’re not in any of the three states home to various Slutty Vegan locations, there is no need to book a trip. The brand’s “Big Ol’ Slut” food trucks are known to pop up nationwide.