Operations

Pinky Cole saving vegan eatery

Photo: Adobe Stock

August 15, 2024

Restaurateur Pinky Cole, the owner of Slutty Vegan and Bar Vegan, is taking over The Boujee Southerner, a Black-owned vegan restaurant that recently closed its doors in Lawrenceville, Georgia. She will turn it into her second Bar Vegan location, which started as an experiential restaurant and cocktail bar in 2021 in Atlanta's Ponce City Market.

"When I heard about everything that they [The Boujee Southerner] were going through, I felt the need to step in," Cole-Hayes said in a company press release. "Their foundation is built on being a completely plant-based Southern Fusion concept that provides comfort food, which is right up our alley."

In March 2024, The Boujee Southerner, owned by Tara Gilbert, announced it was reducing its hours to Friday through Sunday after one year in business. Eight days later, the business shared that it had closed. Gilbert, who has been a raw vegan for several years, will now serve as executive chef at Bar Vegan Lawrenceville.

"This is a part of my Restaurant Takeover initiative, where Slutty Vegan or Bar Vegan will take over the lease for existing restaurants that are looking to increase their foot traffic and awareness to the public," Cole said. "It's all about collaboration and empowering one another."

Food featured on the menu includes General Tso Chik'n, White Spaghetti, maple glazed brussels sprouts, loaded steak fries, corn ribs, jerk kabobs and Lemon Pepper Chik'n salad.

"With the menu, we plan to make it leaner, healthier and sexier," Gilbert said in the release. "We plan to make the food extremely yummy but also appealing to the eyes — so get prepared to snap your photos for social media."

Cole's business portfolio includes 12 Slutty Vegan locations in Georgia, New York, Alabama and Texas, a cookbook and Slutty Vegan products on metro Atlanta Target shelves. In 2022, Cole raised a $25 million Series A funding round for Slutty Vegan that at the time valued her business at $100 million, according to Forbes.