Aisha “Pinky” Cole, the owner and operator of Slutty Vegan, has many celebrity fans. That’s no surprise given her talent for preparing dishes loved by vegans, carnivores and everyone in between. The former food truck-to-micro chain won back celebrity hearts in its early days, with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Tyler Perry and others touting its towering vegan burgers.
Cole opened the first brick-and-mortar version of the vegan fast food joint in Atlanta in January 2019. Slutty Vegan has since multiplied, with multiple locations across Georgia, one in Alabama and the recently opened eatery in Brooklyn, New York City.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is plant-based, hailed the restaurant’s expansion into the Big Apple in a video. “Anyone who knows me knows that I like to eat healthy and plant-based. We love our brothers and sisters in Atlanta, but it’s about time you brought your vegan burgers here to the greatest city on earth,” he said.
Cole doesn’t stop at NYC — she plans to open 20 new restaurants by the end of 2023.
There’s no doubt that Cole’s vegan burgers with provocative names – like the Heaux Boy and the Fussy Hussy – catapulted Slutty Vegan into the stratosphere of fame. Her success has come alongside collaborations with Steve Madden and The Lip Bar, a consulting role on DoorDash, and a forthcoming cookbook.
But Cole’s philanthropy has also boosted her celebrity status. Her charity, the Pinky Cole Foundation, focuses on supporting young black entrepreneurs. In 2019, she helped pay tuition for 30 students at Clark Atlanta University. And earlier this year, she gifted every Clark Atlanta University graduate with an LLC. Even some prominent fans took part in the campaign. Rapper Jermaine Dupri helped Cole with an initiative that rewarded voters with free vegan burgers.
Who are the celebrity fans of Slutty Vegan?
Shout out the chorus of Celebrities! They’re just like us.” Here are just a few of Slutty Vegan’s celebrity fans.
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1 usher
Back in the early days of Slutty Vegan in 2019, Usher sang praises to the fast food joint. The Grammy Award-winning rapper, who began his music career in Atlanta, stopped by the restaurant to try the Ménages à Trois burger, which featured a vegan bacon patty, vegan shrimp, vegan cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, Tomato and its signature sauce on a Hawaiian bun.
“I’m feeling perky, here we go,” Usher said in a video shared on Slutty Vegan’s social media platforms. “It’s good.”
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2 Viola Davis
Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis is one of Slutty Vegan’s biggest celebrity fans. The star of epic historical drama The Woman King first experienced the restaurant in the food truck days. She was such a fan that she booked the truck for catering while filming Essence.
“We were in a pandemic where we were watching George Floyd, Ahmad Arbery and Breonna Taylor on a loop,” Davis told the magazine. “And it was a constant reminder that in this country we were and were the remnants. It’s amazing how people come alive when you take care of them, when you think about their health, their joy, their comfort – literally in any way. And maybe the secret of her company, apart from absolutely amazing food, is that she cares about her people.”
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3 Snoop Dogg
It’s safe to say that Snoop Dogg is a fan of vegan food considering he pushed Beyond Meat. But he’s also one of Slutty Vegan’s original celebrity fans. In a 2019 video, he was caught eating fries – we assume he’s already destroyed the burger. Although Snoop Dogg didn’t have much to say, he gave the cashier an enthusiastic thumbs up – we agree, Snoop.
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4 Spike Lee
Filmmaker Spike Lee was photographed at the recent opening of Slutty Vegan in Brooklyn. The restaurant captioned the photo of the director, writer and producer, “We think it’s safe to say @officialSpikeLee knows how to ‘do the right thing!'”
5 Shaquille O’Neal
Last spring, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal openly shared that he had reduced his meat consumption. And he’s found that Slutty Vegan satisfies his cravings for the kind of food he wants to eat.
Speaking on an episode of the show Urban Eats & Treats, hosted by comedian Rip Michaels, Shaq said, “It’s not like I’m going vegan. My friend introduced me to this place and it’s healthy. For example, I like cheeseburgers, right? But the way [Cole] cooks, I can eat healthily, but I still feel like I’m eating badly.”
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6 Lena Waite
The award-winning actor, screenwriter, and producer is another prominent Slutty Vegan fan. Waithe’s love for Cole’s super stacked burgers dates back to 2018. “That’s good,” Waithe remarked between bites.
Slutty Vegan captioned the video, “It’s safe to say @lenawaithe has been #SLUTTIFIED.”
True to Cole’s charitable nature, she and Waithe — along with actress Gabrielle Union, former NBA All-Star Dwayne Wade, singer Janelle Monáe and rapper Ludacris — helped pay for the funeral expenses of a 15-year-old who died by suicide at Target of anti-gay bullying.
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7 Tyler Perry
Comedian Tyler Perry is a particularly vocal fan of Slutty Vegan’s. Perry was caught on video sampling the fast food kibble in 2018 when Slutty Vegan was still in its food truck days. “It’s safe to say Mom, WE did it,” Slutty Vegan commented on the entertainer’s Instagram post.
“It’s too good to be vegan. That’s really good,” he said before breaking into a dance. Good food makes us feel that way too.
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8th Gabrielle Union
In June 2020, actress Gabrielle Union was among several stars who “bought out” Slutty Vegan for the day as a thank you for Cole’s philanthropic efforts. The result? Free food for visitors all day.
“So amazing food and really amazing people!! Glad we could help. Hate will never win #WeAllWeGot #StrongerTogether,” Union tweeted at the time.
The hashtags are a nod to the backlash that emerged after Cole announced she would pay tuition for the four children of Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old black man who was fatally shot by Atlanta police in June 2020. Naysayers flooded Cole’s store with negative online reviews, prompting a surge of support from celebrities and non-celebrities alike.
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9 ChrisPaul
NBA All-Star Chris Paul was another celebrity who helped cook Slutty Vegan Meals for a Day for free in 2020. But in June 2021, in honor of June 16, he declared that free food was back on the menu.
“In the spirit of June 16, I am honored to support a black-owned business while also providing resources to feed the community,” Paul said at the time. “Let’s celebrate this Saturday.”
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10 Ludacris
Ludacris first started rapping in Atlanta, so it’s no wonder Grammy-winning rapper Slutty Vegan showed some love. Rapper “Money Maker” helped make Slutty Vegan meals free for visitors to Atlanta in 2020.
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11 Jermaine Dupri
As noted above, Dupri played a role in Cole’s initiative to encourage Atlanta residents to exercise their right to vote. The music mogul’s love for slutty vegan and charitable endeavors is still going strong. Over the summer, Dupri personally served the catering the restaurant offered during the annual People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA) Convention’s Veggie Dog Lunch event on Capitol Hill.
Not all Slutty Vegan fans are. According to multiple press releases, famous visitors to the restaurant include Colin Kaepernick, Queen Latifah, Will Smith, Tiffany Haddish, Martin Lawrence, Taraji P. Henson, Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliott and more. Slutty Vegan has not only won the love of New York City Mayor Adams, but also a political supporter in Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff.
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Kat Smith is a freelance writer and editor based out of Queens, NY who loves to cook and discover local vegan secrets.
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