From trialing a food truck to opening in Atlanta Airport, Slutty Vegan popularizes plant-based
Striving to initiate conversations about vegan food within communities affected by high numbers of hypertension, cholesterol, obesity, and a host of other food-related ailments, Pinky Cole, CEO and founder of Slutty Vegan, Inc, opened her first Slutty Vegan restaurant in Atlanta in 2018. By introducing various vegan options and promoting food awareness in Atlanta’s West End, Pinky inspired local communities to try vegan food options they had never considered before. As Atlanta’s top Black-owned vegan fast-food restaurant chain, Slutty Vegan has garnered attention over the last few years for the taste and quality of its food. Jason Crain, Founding Partner and CRO, provides an update on Slutty Vegan’s recent developments since our last conversation with the company in 2022. 
“The year 2023 saw us venture into some non-traditional channels. We expanded our presence by opening several new locations at Spelman College, Georgia Institute of Technology and at Truist Park, one of Atlanta’s largest baseball stadiums and home of the Atlanta Braves. In that same year, we also explored numerous different locations with our food truck, taking it to about ten new cities. This experiment enabled us to test the market and evaluate the locations where our key audiences are based. Our demographic and social profile data were vital in determining the ideal locations to explore. Additionally, we collaborated with our partners to obtain new data, which will help us make future decisions regarding site selection. We are excited to have more resources as we expand into other urban markets. We plan to expand into more dense markets and areas with high foot traffic across diverse neighborhoods that can support our price point. Still, we remain open to strengthening our presence within food deserts,” he shares.
Comprehensive menu concepts
As of January of 2024, Slutty Vegan has been working towards launching a promising new conceptual menu. “Sometime within the next couple of months, Slutty Vegan will be introducing a new value meal called ‘The Cheap Date Menu’, which represents a lower price option for our customers. Likewise, we will begin offering a full breakfast menu at select locations. This brand-new menu, called ‘The Morning After’ will include traditional breakfast items made vegan. Customers will be able to enjoy options such as biscuit sandwiches with vegan bacon, eggs and cheese or sausage, eggs, and cheese. We’ll also offer a sausage and plantain wrap, oatmeal, pancakes, French toast, and a selection of pastries with sides like vegan eggs. The introduction of these new offerings necessitated extensive menu developments and research. One of the biggest issues in the plant-based food industry is trying to keep costs down since the price point is typically quite high. Thus, we are trying to be mindful of that and aim to offer an alternative price point for people to enjoy our products. We believe that our breakfast and Cheap Date Menu will help address this issue and empower more individuals to consume plant-based food,” explains Jason.
In a further expansion effort, Slutty Vegan successfully won the bid to open a new location at Atlanta Airport. “Everything is progressing smoothly so far and by the end of February, we should have signed the official lease. We are excited to get started, with the location scheduled to be operational by the end of this year. 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. We are thrilled to be at the forefront and showcase what Atlanta has to offer through our vegan menu,” Jason reveals.
Ethical brand collaborations
For many, the vegan diet represents far more than simply avoiding animal products – it stems from a desire to consume more ethically and be environmentally responsible. With this understanding, Slutty Vegan has a passion about collaborating with ethical brands. “We share the responsibility of ensuring that we are as socially responsible as possible, and we communicate the same expectations to our food distributors and other suppliers. Sysco, our primary food distributor, is a prominent brand in the industry. Moreover, we are partnered with influential vegan brands such as Beyond Meat and Violife. We continuously work with these brands to find creative and fun ways to drive a sustainable message. We’re also open to forming new partnerships with other organizations,” said Jason.
Reflecting on Slutty Vegan’s success, Jason discusses his vision for the future of the company. “Our goal is to continue penetrating new markets and build brand awareness; as we believe that we have the necessary community support and product loyalty to thrive in the industry for a long time. However, we need to continue to find new innovative ways to identify new customers and keep the loyals coming back. We’ll continue to expand around our current locations in Texas, New York, and Georgia, and soon to be Baltimore. To that end, we will look for partners with whom we can grow, potentially through licensing or franchising,” he ends.
Through persistent innovation and rock-solid supplier partnerships, Slutty Vegan is well-positioned to further popularize delicious plant-based options and drive positive change.