Pinky Cole attends the 2025 ForbesBLK Summit at Ray Charles Performing Arts Center Morehouse College on October 10, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Pinky Cole, the entrepreneur behind the popular Slutty Vegan restaurant chain, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
What we know:
The filing in the Northern District of Georgia comes as Cole prepares to join the cast of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta." Court documents reveal she owes $1.2 million to the Small Business Administration and $192,000 in state taxes.
Cole's financial statements show her total assets are valued at approximately $3.75 million, including several investment properties in Georgia and Maryland. However, her business has faced significant recent hurdles. After growing to 14 locations across four states, the brand has scaled back to just five restaurants.
Dig deeper:
The bankruptcy follows a period of rapid expansion and subsequent restructuring. In early 2025, Cole briefly gave up ownership of Slutty Vegan amid financial challenges, including a $10 million corporate overhead, before buying the business back in March 2025.
The brand has also dealt with legal issues recently, including a lawsuit over unpaid rent at its Atlanta locations on Edgewood Avenue and a settlement with former employees in New York.
The backstory:
Cole, 37, started Slutty Vegan in 2018, initially selling plant-based burgers from her apartment via Instagram. The business quickly grew into a food truck and then its first physical location in Atlanta in 2019.
Before her success with Slutty Vegan, the Clark Atlanta University graduate worked as a television producer and operated a restaurant in Harlem, New York, which was destroyed by a fire in 2016. In addition to her business ventures, Cole is known for her philanthropy through the Pinky Cole Foundation and was named to the "2023 Time100 Next" list.
What's next:
Cole is scheduled to make her debut as a full-time cast member in Season 17 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. That episode will premiere on Sunday, April 5 on Bravo.
The Source: The details in this article come from Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings and previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting.