By Niko Mann
Black Enterprise
Pinky Cole received a surprise proposal from her longtime partner Derrick Hayes as she sat on a panel at the Essence Fest in New Orleans on July 2. Cole said yes, and the CEO of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks and the Slutty Vegan CEO are now engaged.
Cole and Hayes were wearing matching black and white outfits as they sat on the panel stage when Hayes suddenly called out, “A.J. Where you at?” A man entered the stage with a light blue square box and gave it to Hayes as excited fans realized what was about to happen and began to cheer.
Hayes stood up from his seat and stood before Cole. “These last two years changed my life,” he said. “I want to make this real.” Hayes kneeled down before Cole and asked for her hand in marriage. Cole replied, “Of course I do. F— yeah, I do!”
Cole shared a video of the proposal on her Instagram page. “Because I was tired of calling you my partner 
One of the best days of my life 
@officialdhayes.”
Essence also shared the good news on Twitter from another angle.
Cole, 34, gave birth to her first child with Hayes, also 34, in February, a baby girl named D Ella Hayes. Cole said back in February that her soon-to-be husband supports her vegan lifestyle and allows her to decide what to feed their daughter. “Although Derrick is not vegan, he is very supportive of my lifestyle and allowed me to make the decision on the type of food our daughter consumes,” she said. “I’m so happy that it wasn’t a struggle. Next step, turning Derrick vegan,” she joked.
The Slutty Vegan CEO has five locations in Atlanta and Athens with plans to expand to Columbus, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama and Dallas, Texas. She also plans to expand her business to Brooklyn and Harlem in New York. The couple also shares a new restaurant called Dinkies, which is a combination of Dave and Pinky. The restaurant serves vegan versions of Big Dave’s cheesesteaks, egg rolls, cauliflower wings, tater tots, and sweet potato tots.
