For almost three years now, restaurateur Aisha “Pinky” Cole has been making waves on the Atlanta foodie scene with her vegan restaurant, Slutty Vegan. Inspired by Cole’s incessant craving for vegan junk food, Slutty Vegan was originally started as a delivery service, and now the restaurant—which specializes in creating hearty and healthy vegan burgers—has just entered into a historic partnership with popular burger chain, Shake Shack.
As a way to extend love and support to talented chefs around the country, Shake Shack has created a collaborative “Now Serving” menu that offers creative and innovative burgers and sandwiches for a limited time. For Cole, this means getting Slutty Vegan’s beloved plant-based burgers on the menu.
“We’re thrilled to partner with some of the best chefs in the country for this series while giving back to the restaurant community during these difficult times,” said Shake Shack’s Culinary Director, Mark Rosati. “We love crafting fun, delicious menu items in an elevated way, inspired by our fine dining roots and with an emphasis on premium ingredients. Now Serving brings together a unique vision and style from top chefs who share our passion and commitment, paired with our roadside-inspired classics, and we can’t wait to show our Shack fans what we’re cooking up.”
He goes on to say that jumping on the chance to work with Pinky Cole was a no brainer:
“Over the last year, we’ve all heard of Pinky Cole and the impact she’s making, not just in Atlanta and New York but across the country,” Culinary Director of Shake Shack Mark Rosati said. “Having the chance to collaborate with her and her team on this burger has been an honor–not only has it been fun and creative, but it’s been inspiring. We’re really proud to work alongside the Slutty Vegan team and support communities near and dear to us both.”
Cole’s burger, aptly named ‘The SluttyShack’, will consist of Shake Shack’s signature Veggie burger, lemon ginger kale, caramelized onions, vegan ranch, and vegan mayo, topped with Pinky’s secret Slut Dust—all on Slutty Vegan’s signature Hawaiian bun.
While this delicious creation is a good way to get non-vegans interested in healthier options of their favorite foods, Cole just wants to inspire others to step outside the box:
“Our mission isn’t to tell people to go vegan–but rather, to inspire guests to open up horizons with something new and different. Partnering with Shake Shack is a natural way of furthering this mission–enjoy one of America’s most beloved burger spots, but try it with a twist,” Cole said. “Philanthropy is the core of who I am, and I’m encouraged by Shake Shack’s aligned outlook on giving back to its communities. Our goal with this collab is to build support for communities and industries close to our hearts.”
And Cole knows all about giving back to the community. Aside from her work with Slutty Vegan, she recently launched the Pinky Cole Foundation which puts effort into community building and social justice initiatives in Atlanta, Georgia.
This past year, the organization has paid college tuition for over 30 students, paid off outstanding debts for local small businesses. So in true Pinky Cole fashion, the SluttyShack burger will also benefit the community as a whole. The net proceeds from this $8 burger (as well as all other collabs) will go to non-profits helping local restaurant communities.
A portion of its profits from Atlanta locations will be given to a local crisis relief organization called the Giving Kitchen. And since the meatless burger will also be made available in Harlem, NY, there will also be donations to the coalition of hospitality leaders in the NYC restaurant industry named ROAR.
