Pinky Cole, the dynamic entrepreneur behind the multi-million dollar vegan fast food chain Slutty Vegan, has overcome immense adversity, recovering both her company and her life after a near-fatal car accident.
Source: Paras Griffin
Peoplereports on April 2 that the Maryland native opened up about her gratitude for being alive and resilience in the face of these challenges. According to a video shared to Cole’s Instagram on April 2, Slutty Vegan underwent a global restructuring on Feb. 13, which led to her losing full ownership of the business due to soaring overhead costs.
“Our corporate overhead was about $10 million,” the Baltimore-bred businesswoman told People. “I was chasing something that I couldn’t catch for so many reasons.”
The company’s dire financial situation became “too far gone,” so Cole made the tough decision to “let it die” so that she could “rebirth it.”
Discussing her decision with full transparency, the mother of two revealed that she “wasn’t the operational person” behind the popular fast food chain, which has locations in Atlanta, New York City, Dallas, and five other locations in the U.S. The devastating loss carried a huge lesson for Cole, that as a business owner, “You can never take your hands off the wheel.”
Pinky Cole Survived A Near-Fatal Car Accident Earlier This Year
That wasn’t the worst of Cole’s troubles. As she struggled to regain ownership, the bustling entrepreneur was hit with another heavy setback when a mattress hit her car as she was driving down the center lane of a highway in Atlanta at 70 miles per hour.
“It was like Final Destination,” she recalled to People. “I’m not the person to get in accidents, and I wasn’t on the phone. I wasn’t texting.”
Cole has a new outlook on life since the incident.
“In life, we always worry about the things that really don’t matter until your life is on the line,” she shared. “I have a newfound perspective on the things that I prioritize now after that accident.”
Cole Bought Slutty Vegan Back For An Undisclosed Amount In March
In the end, the star’s story has a triumphant twist.
On April 3, the vegan lifestyle advocate shared on Instagram that she had regained full ownership of Slutty Vegan as of March 28, 2025.
“I officially bought my company back,” Cole captioned a photo of herself smiling from ear to ear in a Slutty Vegan uniform. “Slutty Vegan is mine again …and this time, we’re doing it bigger, bolder, and better. Thank you to everyone who believed in me. This is not just business. This is personal. Welcome to Slutty Vegan 2.0.”
During her interview with People, Cole revealed that she immediately shifted into “strategy mode” to plan her next steps after the restructure. This included bringing in a headhunter to find new leadership for the company. On March 28, the determined entrepreneur successfully bought back her business (for an undisclosed amount) under the name “Ain’t Nobody Coming to See You, Otis LLC,” a nod to the iconic quote from the 1998 film The Temptations.
“People love Slutty Vegan because they love me and I used to not tap into that, but I [now] know I have a superpower with people,” the happy businesswoman shared. “People love me, so I know that people are going to support and back me in whatever it is that I authentically do.”
Congrats to Pinky Cole and other Black women making incredible strides during Black Women’s History Month!
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