By Megan Sayles,
AFRO Business Writer,
msayles@afro.com
Baltimore native Pinky Cole, the restaurateur behind Slutty Vegan, returned home in October to give the keynote address at Executive Alliance’s Women of Excellence event.
Before heading to the event, Cole announced that she would be joining the Baltimore Peninsula development team, led by MAG Partners and MacFarlane Partners. As a result, her Slutty Vegan and Bar Vegan concepts will open at the site in South Baltimore in late 2024.
“When I came up with Slutty Vegan, I started as a shared kitchen. From that shared kitchen, it turned into mayhem because I went from having four people standing in line to having 300 to 500 people every single day,” said Cole during the Women of Excellence event. “It went from that to a food truck, to a brick-and-mortar, and now, today, I have 14 [locations] because I just announced Baltimore Peninsula.”
Cole grew up in East Baltimore on Cedonia Avenue. She attended both City College and Western High School.
In 2018, Cole opened her first Slutty Vegan restaurant in Atlanta. The plant-based burger chain grew rapidly and is valued at $100 million today, with locations in Georgia, Alabama, New York and Texas. The new location at Baltimore Peninsula’s Rye Street Market will be her hometown debut.
It’s also expected to bring more than 100 jobs to Baltimore.
This announcement is the latest development in the revitalization of the former Port Covington neighborhood into a vibrant, waterfront community with thriving residential and business districts. The site has already become the home of CFG Bank’s headquarters, two mixed-income apartment buildings and a new sports venue in partnership with Volo.
Under Armour founder Kevin Plank and his investment company, Sagamore Ventures, have a major equity stake in the Baltimore Peninsula’s redevelopment. His waterfront whiskey distillery, Sagamore Spirits, is also one of the neighborhood tenants.
Under Armour’s new global headquarters are also in the process of being constructed in Baltimore Peninsula.
“Baltimore is my home, and Pinky shares my love for this city. For decades I have invested in this city’s future, first by locating Under Armour’s global headquarters here, then with Baltimore Peninsula and now we’re bringing globally recognized influencers and entrepreneurs to help us share our story,” said Plank in a press release. “Pinky is an incredibly successful restaurateur and philanthropist, and it’s an honor to welcome her back to her hometown. Her innovative concepts have taken over the nation, and I can’t wait to see them thrive right here at the Baltimore Peninsula.”
Megan Sayles is a Report for America Corps member.
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