One of the fastest growing fast-food chains in the USA (and it’s vegan!)
Welcome to my first monthly vegan marketing profile. The goal of these profiles is to introduce whoever stumbles on my blog to vegan companies and talk about how they market themselves.
First up is one of my FAVOURITE vegan brands, Slutty Vegan. Even though I haven’t had one bite of the company’s food, I’m obsessed with how it markets itself. It tied for the top company mentioned in my newsletter in 2024.
Date founded: In July 2018, Cole sold her first vegan burgers through delivery apps and then opened the Slutty Vegan food truck in September of that year. January 2019 was when she opened the first Slutty Vegan brick-and-mortar restaurant in Atlanta.
Headquartered in: Atlanta, Georgia
Founder & Owner: Pinky Cole
Current CEO: Robert Bailey
Current COO: unknown
Current CMO: Christi Mason
Annual revenue: $29.8 M
Annual marketing budget: unknown
Founder Pinky Cole talked about building her vegan empire on the Motley Fool Money podcast:
Products/services
- Fast food restaurants located in Atlanta (and surrounding areas), Brooklyn, and Baltimore.
- Pinky Cole also owns Bar Vegan, a top-rated black-owned bar and restaurant in Atlanta and the Baltimore Peninsula.
- Pinky Cole’s books Eat Plants, B*tch and I Hope You Fail
Brand features
1. Logo/brand colours: Fiery red/white. Logo or white/black text is used on black or yellow background.
2. Strong brand voice: Slutty Vegan has a bold, unapologetic, and cheeky brand that thrives on humour, edgy language, and relatability to grab attention. Proudly Black-owned, it celebrates self-expression, local communities, and the joy of indulgent vegan comfort food while normalizing veganism.
Its provocative name and cheeky social media captions grab attention, setting it apart from other vegan brands. Finally, their use of provocative language draws attention and gets people talking about them.
4. Pop culture references: The brand uses viral TikTok sounds and trends. It incorporates celebrities like Beyoncé in its marketing campaigns and promotions. It collaborates with stars like Snoop Dogg, Usher, Megan thee Stallion, and Steve Harvey to get #sluttified.
Top marketing tactics
1. Instagram and TikTok
Slutty Vegan has a successful social media presence. The brand posts consistently (up to 9 posts a day), using Reels almost exclusively. The posts are mostly promotional, sharing food, customers consuming the food, people working, and newly released items. There are some pop culture references and memes, but they are more rare.
SV fosters community engagement with interactive captions, customer features/reviews, and a celebration of Black culture that resonates deeply with its audience. Their drool-worthy food content, paired with playful dish names like “One Night Stand,” creates buzz and keeps people talking, blending cultural relevance with irresistible visuals.
Here’s a buffet of video post examples.
2. Celebrity endorsements and collaborations
Influencers and celebrity figures have endorsed or visited Slutty Vegan, boosting its visibility and credibility. Celebrity figures include Snoop Dogg, Viola Davis, Usher, and Shaquille O’Neal (and folks mentioned above). SV’s also done epic collabs with other business owners like Angela Simmons, CEO of Angela’s Cakes, who offered limited edition Vegan Fried Oreos.
Website: SluttyVeganATL.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/sveganfoodtruck
Instagram @sluttyveganatl
LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/company/sluttyveganatl
YouTube: YouTube.com/@SluttyVeganATL
TikTok: @sluttyveganatlanta
X @SluttyVeganATL
Are you a vegan who needs a hype woman to take admin or marketing off your plate so you can grow your biz? Contact me!
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
