Slutty Vegan has converted its Fulton Street location in Brooklyn into its first franchised restaurant, transferring ownership to Destiny Correa, the general manager who ran the unit for nearly five years. Founder and CEO Pinky Cole Hayes gifted the store to Correa outright, and Slutty Vegan waived both the initial franchise fee and the recurring marketing fee that standard franchise partners would typically pay.
"I walked into this store five years ago as a manager, and now I'm walking back in as the owner," Correa said. "Most people in this industry never get told that ownership is possible for them. Pinky told me it was, and then she helped make it a reality."
Why This Deal Matters
The move carries real implications for how fast-casual brands approach internal talent pipelines and franchise recruitment. By elevating a proven unit-level operator rather than recruiting an outside investor, Slutty Vegan is signaling that operational track record — not just capital — can be the entry point into franchise ownership. For operators watching emerging franchise models in the plant-based restaurant segment, the structure here is notable: fee waivers tied to demonstrated loyalty and performance represent a departure from conventional franchise economics.
Cole Hayes framed the decision in straightforward terms. "She showed up every single day for five years and ran that store like it was already hers," the founder said. "Handing her the reins to own the store was a no-brainer and the right thing to do. She's proof that if you put in the hard work, Slutty Vegan will help you own something real."
Expansion Already in Motion
The Brooklyn transfer is not an isolated event. The brand has already announced franchise deals in Washington, D.C., Detroit, Ohio, and its home market of Atlanta as it pursues a national footprint built on what it describes as high-opportunity markets with experienced operators. That positioning — prioritizing operator quality over sheer unit count — reflects a broader strategic discipline increasingly common among fast-casual concepts scaling beyond their regional roots.
Since launching in Atlanta in 2018 as a food truck, Slutty Vegan has grown into a multi-unit fast-casual brand recognized for bold flavors and high-energy dining environments. Cole Hayes, who has also become a cast member of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta, has used the platform to widen the brand's consumer awareness considerably. For food and beverage industry analysis on plant-based dining trends, the brand's trajectory from viral concept to franchise system underscores sustained consumer appetite for vegan fast casual, even as some plant-based categories have cooled at retail.
Prospective franchise partners can find information at sluttyveganatl.com/franchise.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
