Atlanta’s Slutty Vegan Is Helping Customers Register to Vote

Atlanta-based food truck Slutty Vegan recently set off on a national tour with a mission to motivate Americans to try vegan food while becoming more politically active. “Slutty Vegan ATL is on a 50-city national tour and, with each stop, we are committed to doing two things: helping people reimagine veganism and registering people to vote,” Slutty Vegan Owner Pinky Cole told VegNews. Cole initially launched Slutty Vegan as a food truck in August 2018 and quickly attracted a large following, with more than 500 customers waiting up to five hours in line to be “sluttified” by sampling Cole’s innovative Impossible Burger-based, Caribbean-inspired creations such as the Fussy Hussy, Dancehall Queen, and One Night Stand. The voter initiative is also in place for customers at all Slutty Vegan locations, including the original truck and the brick-and-mortar restaurant in Atlanta. “I see my customers as a community, and I am always grateful when they support Slutty Vegan ATL—we are who are because of them,” Cole said. “But, also as an entrepreneur, I have a social responsibility to give back to the community that has invested in me. I want customers to leave motivated about this—and every—election, and eager to share their voice through the vote.” Cole is specifically aiming to motivate Black Americans to get to the polls for the upcoming election in November. “There is a lot of data that explains that Black millennials face unique challenges in a range of areas, like employment, education, gun violence, health, and criminal justice,” Cole said. “Black millennials are politically engaged already—they have distinct opinions on these issues but they, like many others, can become disenfranchised at the state of societal and structural barriers. I am using the power of the Slutty Vegan brand to get them motivated, engage in like-minded communities, and ensure their political participation.”  

In addition to engaging in many forms of social-justice activism, Cole is expanding the Slutty Vegan brand, including developing two additional brick-and-mortar locations in Jonesboro and Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward—a neighborhood known for being the location of social-justice legend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s childhood home. Cole also partnered with Rap Chips to create the snack brand’s first vegan flavor (which will be modeled after Slutty Vegan) and signed a development deal for a reality show.