Food & Drink
Why Slutty Vegan Owner Pinky Cole Hayes is Grateful to Be from Baltimore
From her adopted hometown of Atlanta, we caught up with the entrepreneur who has reached celebrity status with her brand of plant-based burgers and retail products.
Outside of Baltimore, Slutty Vegan customers may not know what “slut dust” fries are—that’s spuds sprinkled with Old Bay—but they certainly know the larger-than-life restaurant personality Pinky Cole Hayes, the company’s founder, who has reached celebrity status with her brand of plant-based burgers and retail products, including plant-based dips.
Despite legal woes of the past few years, the brand is still going strong. Cole Hayes has six Slutty Vegan joints around the country, including Atlanta, Dallas, Brooklyn, and Birmingham, but opening on the Baltimore Peninsula last year has been particularly meaningful for the Charm City-born entrepreneur.
“I love the fact that I get to go back to my city and do it right this time,” says Cole Hayes, who also owns Bar Vegan, a plant-based restaurant and bar, on the Peninsula.
When Cole Hayes left Charm City at 17, she was a newly minted graduate of Western High School, where she ran what she calls “an illegal business” out of the school cafeteria selling McChicken sandwiches for double the price.
“The things I learned as a kid,” she says, “apply today as an adult. I had that hustle-and-grind mentality. I don’t take that for granted because it made me stronger and it made me smarter.” (She credits her father, who served more than two decades in prison for his involvement in a drug ring, for her hustle.)
Her ability to hustle has also changed her life. “This brand is the reason I met my husband and the reason why I have children,” says Cole Hayes. “It’s the reason why I became a multi-millionaire. It’s the reason why I’ve been able to travel around the country and help inspire other people. And it’s the reason why I can build that generational wealth—I will never take that for granted.”
From her adopted hometown of Atlanta, we caught up with the entrepreneur to talk about all things Slutty Vegan and growing up in Baltimore.
When did you realize you had a hit on your hands with Slutty Vegan?
I’ve been in the trenches a long time. I’ve seen highs; I’ve seen lows. I knew I was really good at bringing people together. I’m sitting in front of my flagship location and remembering what it meant to have a grand opening here. I created something special that people can love and appreciate. I love to know that people love to consume not just the business but they are obsessed with the brand, making this bigger than just a restaurant—it’s a marketing brand, it’s a clothing line, and it’s really cool.
How did you come up with the concept for the brand?
I worked on the Maury Show [as a producer] and marketing has always been my thing. I know how to get people to pay attention in the weirdest ways. I realized that if I could merge food and sex, it would be a win-win. On the Maury Show, everything is racy and in your face—that’s why he was on the air for 25-plus years. I wanted to create something that would spark people’s attention. When I thought of the name, I was sitting in my two-bedroom apartment—the name Slutty Vegan hit me like a bolt of lightning.
How did you want to change the conversation around vegan food?
I wanted to help people reimagine food. For so long, veganism has been this boring thing. The funny thing is that so many of my customers are carnivores. The best compliment I ever got from anyone was, “Wow, this tastes better than meat!”
I know your dad has given you advice. What did he tell you?
That success is like mud—you have to throw things at the wall and something is going to stick.
How did growing up in Baltimore shape you?
Baltimore made me super brave even in the times when I was scared. I got my independence in Baltimore. I got my first job when I was young, working at the Police Athletic League and Forever 21. I got my license early. I got a car young. My mother gave me the space and opportunity to be independent—no one cradled me. I am grateful my city did that for me.
What has it been like to open a Slutty Vegan here?
Baltimore is a beautiful place and I’m happy that I get to be a part of the new growth of Baltimore, creating opportunities for other people.