Slutty Vegan restaurant founder Pinky Cole files for bankruptcy James Powel, USA TODAYThu, March 5, 2026 at 1:43 AM UTC 0 Aisha "Pinky" Cole, the founder of the Atlanta restaurant chain Slutty Vegan, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Georgia. The Feb. 12 filing, reviewed by USA TODAY, shows that Cole owes $1.2 million to the Small Business Administration for a COVID19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan. She also owes $192,000 in state taxes, the records show.
Slutty Vegan restaurant founder Pinky Cole files for bankruptcy
James Powel, USA TODAYThu, March 5, 2026 at 1:43 AM UTC
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Aisha "Pinky" Cole, the founder of the Atlanta restaurant chain Slutty Vegan, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Georgia.
The Feb. 12 filing, reviewed by USA TODAY, shows that Cole owes $1.2 million to the Small Business Administration for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan. She also owes $192,000 in state taxes, the records show.
Cole started the fast-food company with a sex-themed menu as a meal delivery service in 2018 before converting to a food truck, according to the restaurant's website. The restaurant opened its first brick-and-mortar location in 2019. It grew to 14 locations before closing several, according to Atlanta television station WSB-TV. It currently has six locations.
Cole made the "Time100 Next" list for starting the restaurant in 2023.
Pinky Cole attends Marie Claire Power Play at The St. Regis Atlanta on May 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The restaurant faced multiple lawsuits in 2023 for unpaid wages, Essence reported, as well as a case filed in August for unpaid rent at Atlanta locations, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
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Atlanta News First reported that the restaurant entered a state level bankruptcy alternative called Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors in 2025. The program allows companies to transfer assets to a third-party administrator who then sells them to pay off creditors. The action caused Cole to temporarily lose ownership of the restaurant, according to the television station.
"I fought it for a long time, to be honest, and I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to face the public scrutiny," Cole said in an interview with People magazine. "I could have easily gone to social media and did a rally cry for help, but I didn't want to be a victim."
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Cole was announced as a cast member for Season 17 of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" on Feb. 24.
The restaurant has not publicly commented on the bankruptcy filing. USA TODAY has reached out for comment. USA TODAY has also reached out to Cole for comment.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole files for bankruptcy
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: March 4, 2026 at 10:09PM on Source: PRIME TIME
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