TED Talks Daily - How I make vegan food sexy | Pinky Cole

Episode Date: May 12, 2025

At the plant-based burger chain Slutty Vegan, Pinky Cole is flipping the script on vegan food with bold style. In conversation with host of "TED Radio Hour" Manoush Zomorodi, she shares the highs and lows of her entrepreneurial journey, from her roots in Baltimore to the grease fire that took her first storefront in Harlem. Learn more about the authenticity, resilience and community that went into building a multimillion-dollar vegan food empire.Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An Apple Watch for your kids lets you stay connected with them wherever they go. They can call you to pick them up at grandma's or text you because they forgot their lunch again. Their watch will even send an alert to let you know they finally got to school. Great for kids who don't have a phone because their Apple watch is managed by you on your iPhone. iPhone XS are later required with additional wireless service plan. Hi, it's Morgan from Off the Shelf, and I'm here to tell you how my Google Pixel 9 helps me read more. Google actually gifted me this phone, and now I use it nonstop. The other day, I was trying to remember the name of this book someone recommended.

And instead of spiraling into a 40 minute social media scroll, I just asked Gemini on my Pixel. What's that romantic book with a competition and a ghost helping her through the trials? The book you're likely thinking of is Phantasma by Kaylee Smith. Here's a breakdown of why it fits your description. It's like having that one friend who always knows what you're talking about. Learn more about the Google Pixel 9 at store.google.com. Learn more about the Google Pixel 9 at store.google.com. Support for this episode comes from Airbnb. Winter always makes me dream of a warm getaway. Imagine this, toes in the sand, the sound of the waves, and nothing on the agenda except soaking up the sun. I think of myself in the Caribbean, sipping on a frozen drink and letting my troubles

melt into the sea. Maybe Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, St. Lucia, lots of possibilities for me and my family to explore. But vacations always fly by too quickly. I was planning my next getaway when I realized my home will be sitting empty while I'm away. That's why I've been thinking about hosting on Airbnb. It'll allow me to earn extra income and could help me extend that trip just a little longer. One more sunset, one more amazing

meal, one more day to unwind. It sounds like the smart thing to do, and I've heard it's easy to get started. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas and conversations to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hwu. Every day, more and more people are talking about climate change. At the same time, it seems that every day, more and more people don't want to hear about climate change. At the same time, it seems that every day, more and more people don't want to hear about climate change. I get it. It's overwhelming. But restaurateur Pinky Cole, owner of Sluddy Vegan in Atlanta, Georgia, might be serving

up a solution. In a conversation with TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi, Pinky shares how great food and hospitality sets the table for the harder conversations we need to keep having. Her work with plant-based food challenges us to think about the future of the planet one dish at a time. Coming up. Pinky, I want to start with you as a teenager. I mean, you've built this hundred million dollar valued restaurant situation, but before we get there, veganism and entrepreneurialism were in your blood from an early age.

Can you tell us about that? Oh, how early? So I have been an entrepreneur for a very long time. So yesterday on my Instagram, I posted how my mother was and still is a lead singer of a reggae band. So as a kid, she used to work five jobs, literally. And she also used to rehearse in the basement

and do her shows in the basement. And my father was spending 22 years in prison for something illegal, right? But he was behind bars, but teaching me about entrepreneurship at the same time. This was in Baltimore. This was in Baltimore, right? So I saw my mother work hard and be loyal to somebody else,

but I also saw her be an entrepreneur. And then I also saw my father being a risk taker, right? So when you put that in, I promise you I'm not being funny. When you put that in a pot and you stir, I have been able to create something for myself where I wanna create opportunity for other people. And that's literally how entrepreneurship began for me.

I would be selling candy, frozen cup, donuts, McChickens in high school just because I love the art of creating something and giving a product to somebody for something. Okay, but you also like making money. I heard that you would go and buy fast food and then as part of your delivery service to your fellow high school students would have a nice markup on there. Like you were, you hustle, hustle. I'm a hustle man, yes. Okay, but what about

the veganism part? Because your dad was from Jamaica, right? So there was etal food was part of your, tell people about that. So my mother and my father guys are Rastafarian. So that's Ethiopian Christianity. So I grew up eating like all etal food, beans, food from the ground, like getting candy was a treat, right? Like eating fast food once a month was a treat. So I already had a different level of consciousness when I was growing up, right? So when I got to college,

shout out to Clark Atlanta University, I got to college and I said, you know what? I'm tired of eating anything disconnected to an animal, minus fish. So in 2007, I decided to stop eating everything. I was only eating fish. And then fast forward to 2014, I decided to go completely vegan.

Don't ask me why. I'm like, I'm a master faster. I'm the person that I wanna drink cucumber juice challenge, water challenge, one meal a day, all of those things, right? So what I realized is that this was the time in my life where it was time to make an elevation and that elevation was veganism. And who would have thought that it would turn into this hundred million dollar company called Sletty Vegan? Yeah, that's kind of crazy. Give it up for her. Can we go back to the origin story of

you being a restaurateur? Because my understanding is you were living in Harlem and you had never run a restaurant much less actually worked in a restaurant is that true? That is correct. So where are you at the moment where you're like you know I think I'm gonna open a restaurant and turn it into a big thing. Okay this was so random I was a producer at the Mori Show. You are not the father of that, yes. I ain't never chased so many people in my life, okay? But I was a producer at the show, and what I realized is that we all got problems. That's what I learned working at Morrie. And I'm like, you know what, it is cool

because I get to meet people where they are. So at the same time, one of my friends, he had a Jamaican restaurant down the street called Rusty's and he said, Pinky, there is a restaurant that I want you to get, you can sublease it. And I said, okay, cool, I don't know the first thing, I like to eat, but I'm not a chef, right? And he was like, just take the restaurant,

see how you like it. So I got in that restaurant and let me tell you something about favor, right? I'm a spiritual person, so I'm gonna be honest with you, whether you like it or not. There is something about favor that even if you don't know person, so I'ma be honest with you, whether you like it or not. There is something about favor that even if you don't know the answers, things will happen for you.

So when I opened up that restaurant, I didn't know the first thing about operating a business, but I had a line down the block. I didn't know the first thing about cogs and numbers and sales and use tag. I mean, they got me afterwards, right? However, I had a thriving business. But why?

People don't just show up, right? You can't just start a restaurant and have a line down the block. What did you do? Why did people line up? Was it friends? Was it the name? What was it?

Now that I look back over my life, some people just got it. You ever met a friend and they just like something about them, they just got it. Yeah, but what were you doing? I want to understand. Just me and myself.

But you painted it a particular color, did you not? I painted it pink. Right, okay. My name. It's just that simple folks. I painted it pink, my name is Pinky. But you know, there's something about authenticity and originality that people like,

and you don't even have to put in full effort as long as you're authentic. And I think that that's what I've done before, and that's what I do right now, and it worked. But was it vegan food then, or were you serving? You have to put in full effort as long as you're authentic. And I think that that's what I've done before. And that's what I do right now. And it worked. But was it vegan food then or were you serving?

Absolutely not. It wasn't vegan food. Okay. So what were you serving? Oxtails. Oxtails and jerk chicken. And I'm like, eat that jerk chicken, it's good. But I wasn't in alignment.

And I was serving something to people that I wouldn't even eat so it went real. Interesting. And that's why I didn't last. What happened? I had a grease fire. And that restaurant caught on fire and I lost everything. I went flat broke. My car got repoed.

I lost my mind and my relationship. Thank God I lost that. But I lost my mind and my relationship. Thank God I lost that, but I lost everything. Okay, I lost everything and you know, that was a turning point in my life where now that I look back at it, I needed those things to happen because it was for those things that gave me

like a reset of the mindset so that I can propel forward to create something new. Okay, so take us through what happened next. I got a call from a show called Yonla Fixed My Life to work as a casting director. And I'm like, hell yeah, I'm coming, where'd I go? And I walked away from everything. And when I walked away, I was drowning in debt.

I was unhappy. I'm the girl, I'm the college queen. I was Miss Clark Atlanta head, Delta head, everything. So everything that I've always touched turned to gold except for that. So I had to start over. So you literally went to work on a show called How to Fix Your Life.

Exactly. I mean. The irony of it all. It's like a little on the nose here, yeah. And I'm helping people come up for air. That's what I mean when I say the story is already written. It's so divine that I was positioned in a space where I'm helping people get the healing, but in the same breath I'm getting the healing that I need, and I ain't even got to pay for it.

You know what I mean? You're getting a paycheck. And I'm getting a paycheck. And it was such a beautiful feeling because it allowed me the opportunity to get clear. There is nothing more special in the world than clarity. It was such a beautiful feeling because it allowed me the opportunity to get clear. There's nothing more special in the world than clarity. And because I got clear, that's when I created Slutty Vegan. Okay.

So the moment when you're like, I got to get back to my roots, the vegan food that I love, and I want to bring it to more people. Talk me through the genesis, the origin story then of Slutty Vegan. So I can remember when I was living in my two-bedroom apartment, I had recently moved to Atlanta to work on the show On the Ground. And in the space that I was in, I was running five miles a day and I was reading a book a day, I came up with this crazy idea called Slutty Vegan. And when I thought about it,

I'm like, oh, this is different, right? When you think about veganism, like, it's supposed to be green and healthy for you. I'm like, oh, this is different. When you think about veganism, it's supposed to be green and healthy for you. I'm like, I want this to be racy and provocative. And if I name vegans slutty, I know that people are gonna pay attention. I'm thinking about my TV background. So I called up my friends, I'm like,

what do you think about this idea? They was like, Pinky, that's a damn good idea. You gotta do it. And I ran with it. And when I tell you every step of the way felt so easy, I knew that I was on the right path. And here I am six years later, over a dozen restaurants, a multi-million dollar company growing, helping community, and most importantly, helping people to reimagine food.

How many of you have eaten at a slutty vegan? Woo! Okay, so can I just say, that's been my question every single Uber I've gotten into. I've been like, you ever eaten at Slutty Vegan? And they're like, what? Of course, I'm from Atlanta. What are you playing at? For people who haven't been, what is the experience and why did people show up to begin with? Was it the food or was it like

the vibe that you were going for? Okay, so Slutty Vegan is a plant-based restaurant located in the heart of Atlanta. It's a plant-based joint, right, that helps people to reimagine food in a way that you've never seen it before. So when you come into the doors of Slutty Vegan, the first thing that you're going to hear is, we got a slut in the building! And if you're above 55 years old, you're going to clutch your pearls. But at the end of the day, it is such a beautiful experience because you don't typically walk into a restaurant where you're received in a way where it's agape love every step of the way.

And I wanted to really debunk the myth that when you go into a restaurant, it just gotta be transactional where you order food. I wanted people to have a safe space no matter who you are. I don't care if you white, black, blue, yellow, short, tall, you come in this space, this is a safe space. And even though you're coming to buy food, you're gonna leave out and you're gonna feel like,

wow, that was one of the best experiences of my life. That is what I created. And because of that creation, people wanted to start talking about it and telling their friends and they told five people and they told five people and here we are, we got lines down the block and people get excited about it. I think it's really interesting that you just said,

this is gonna be the best experience. Not meal, burger, you know, dinner, experience. So, tell me about the color scheme that you chose, how you named the items on the menu. Really paint a picture of us, for us. One of the dishes is called the menage-a-trois, and which at first you're like, oh French, oh French, like, tell us about, you know, because you are the person who writes all the copy, you do it all. I'm laughing about your comment about Mad Slytherin yesterday. But, yeah, so the colors, right?

So like, we know this, there's psychology in colors. I knew that red and yellow would make you wanna eat, right? It'll make you pay attention. I knew that if I made big, bold letters, it would translate to being something in your face, right? Bold and beautiful. I knew that the word slutty was going to sell sex. And if I can sell sex, sex and food

are the two most important things in our lives. We love food and we need, well, oh well, we love sex. I don't know, whatever. Whatever you decide. But anyway, sex and food, if I could play on those things by calling the names of the burgers provocative names, then I can get people to pay attention. Now, it may make you feel uncomfortable, but the minute that I have you tuned in, now I

can teach you about how vegan food is better for you. Now I can teach you about how there's an opportunity to basically diversify your palate and you don't have to eat the flesh of a dead animal every five minutes. You know what I mean? And it worked. And it worked so well that people just got so enamored with the idea that it was so in your face. I just want to take a picture with it. I just want to be connected to it.

So when you create something so special that people want to be connected to, that's when you create gold. Do you know how many of your customers are hardcore vegans versus like don't even really know what that means? So we did an equity brand study on the brand, and what we found out was that 70% of people who come to Slutty Vegan are not even vegan. Oh, interesting. So y'all.

Interesting. Not even vegan. And let me tell you why that's so interesting. To create a brand that is 100% plant-based and the core of the audience are people who wanna see what the hype is about or people who wanna try vegan food for the first time tells me that I can stand amongst the McDonald's,

the Burger King's, the Chick-fil-A's because it's a brand that's inclusive for everybody, which is really, really important, especially in the hospitality space. I think that there are a lot of people who don't realize just how tough on the environment the industrial farming of meat is. Do you feel like, okay, now that I've got you in the door, I got to educate you?

Or where do you see your role in terms of helping people connect to climate? Or do you feel like, no, people don't want to hear it. Just let them eat it and then the next time they come across it. Like, how do you... Because there is an education element to this, which is not maybe as sexy, but how do you do it then? Yeah, so can I be honest with y'all? Okay, so when I created Slutty Vegan,

my thought process wasn't climbing change and saving the planet. It just wasn't it. What it was is I want people to know that vegan food could taste good. It was only after I evolved as a vegan in this space and joined the honorary board of PETA and started rubbing shoulders

with all of my tree hugger friends. And you know what I mean? Like really, I started to realize like, oh, this is like, this is deeper than rap. Like it's not just about just not eating animals. It's about the climate. It's about changing the world. It's about the carbon footprint.

Like all of these things matter now. So what I realized with my brand, because I don't push the agenda, any agenda on people, I just want you to come and have good food. It's like you coming to the hospital and it's like triage first before you go to the back. Right? I'm meeting people where they are.

And oftentimes what I realize is my audience especially, most of them don't really wanna hear about climate change. But if I can reverse psychology, the notion that okay, we need to talk about this, but I'ma give you this first and I'ma get you drawn in. And once I have your attention, then we can have the hard conversations. But if I throw it at you right now,

you may turn away and then I lose you. And then I throw it at you right now, you may turn away, and then I lose you, and then I may never get an opportunity to get you back. So what we do is we hold out the hand, we grab your hand, and we bring you into this community, and then you look up and you won't even realize, like, oh, I'm vegan. And oh, I love this movement.

And then we can begin to start having those conversations. And I feel like it is my responsibility as a vegan restaurateur in this hospitality space, in a space where it's still this, people are still trying to figure it out. It is my responsibility to be that change agent in this space, you know what I mean?

And is it easy? I told you this yesterday, absolutely not. It is hard, I'm on the front lines. Sometimes I'm by myself. You know, every- Let's talk more about that because, It is hard. I'm on the front lines. Sometimes I'm by myself. Let's talk more about that because you started this business not even that long ago. What? Five, six years ago now.

Six years ago. We had a pandemic, which is bananas. What is it like to be a business entrepreneur now? Do you want to keep scaling? You have 12 and growing locations or do you just say, you know what, I'm doing this, I'm doing it well, let's hold on to the status quo. Or do you, what do you see what you wanna do next? Scaling, I have one word for scaling.

Let's hear it. Ghetto. Oh. I'm joking. I don't even know what that means, you have to tell me. I'm gonna be honest, okay, listen. Let me sit right. Let me sit properly Scaling a business is the hardest thing that I've ever had to do, right? I know how to be a mom

I know how to be a wife I know how to tell people what to do but when you talk about scaling a business and recreating something here and doing it here and doing it here and Duplicating it and making it make sense, it is not easy. And people can sit up here and say, oh well it's easy. No, no, no, no. Because there's some sleepless nights that comes with scaling a company.

Right? Sometimes I want to throw in a towel because of scaling. Sometimes I'm like, I'm ready to descale. Like, let me descale. Let me close some of these stores. Because scaling is not what it's, it's a beautiful place to be an entrepreneur. But there is also a dark side that I want more people to talk about

so that you can brace and prepare yourself. But I would not have it any other way. Let me be clear. Which is why I said sometimes I'm on a front line by myself because I see so many other vegan restaurants that are amazing having to close their doors. Raise your hand, how many businesses you've seen closing their doors every week

Yeah, there's tons. So the reality of it is is Sustaining is one thing right being popular is another thing. I keep those doors open So I'm working it. I'm like a duck in my legs are like Waddling and I'm working super hard because I'm making sure that this business continues to grow while still You know spreading the message that vegan food can be cool, it can be honest, it can be something that you can add to your diet. Okay, so you are going after growth.

Yes, yes. Can you give us a hint? Okay, so there's a lot of growth happening with Sletty Vegan. I'm going to the airport, Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. It will be the first ever vegan restaurant in the busiest airport in the National Airport. It will be the first ever vegan restaurant in the busiest airport in the world.

Yes. Um, and then, I got another big announcement. I'm going on a national TV show next week, so just turn on the TV next week, you're gonna hear about it. You're gonna say, I was sitting in there, and she said that. But tons of great things that are happening in the business,

and what I'm more proud about is people see themselves in my business. Yeah. And that feels good. Big applause for Pinky Cole. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

That was Pinky Cole in conversation with Manoush Zomorodi at TED Next in 2024. If you're curious about Ted's curation, find out more at TED.com slash curation guidelines. And that's it for today's show. TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective. This episode was produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Green, Lucy Little, Alejandra Salazar, and Tonsika Samarnivon. It was mixed by Christopher Fazy-Bogan, additional support from Emma Taubner and Daniela Ballarezo.

I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed. Thanks for listening. Looking for a community that has it all? Welcome to Crossings, the urban hub of West Lethbridge. At Crossings you'll find a vibrant village designed for living, working and connecting. With top-notch schools, a state-of-the-art rec center, retail spaces and parks, it's more than a neighborhood, it's a lifestyle. Enjoy NHL-sized arenas, an

aquatic center, an accessible playground, a 55-acre sports park, pathways, and a library with enriching programs. Learn more at crossingslethbridge.ca. An Apple Watch for your kids lets you stay connected with them wherever they go. They can call you to pick them up at grandma's Or text you because they forgot their lunch again Their watch will even send an alert to let me know they finally got to school Great for kids who don't have a phone because their Apple watch is managed by you on your iPhone iPhone XS are later required with additional wireless service plan

iPhone. iPhone XS are later required with additional wireless service plan. Hi, it's Morgan from Off the Shelf and I'm here to tell you how my Google Pixel 9 helps me read more. Google actually gifted me this phone and now I use it non-stop. The other day I was trying to remember the name of this book someone recommended and instead of spiraling into a 40 minute social media scroll I just asked Gemini on my Pixel. What's that romantic book with a competition and a ghost helping her through the trials? The book you're likely thinking of is Phantasma by Kaylee Smith. Here's a breakdown of why it fits your description. It's like having that one friend who always knows what you're talking about. Learn more about the

Google Pixel 9 at store.google.com