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Pinky Cole
This.
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Elise Hu
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 Hu. 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? I get it. It's overwhelming. But restaurateur Pinky Cole, owner of Slutty Vegan in Atlanta, Georgia, might be serving up a solution. In a conversation with TED Radio Hour host Minouche 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.
Minouche Zomorodi
Coming up.
Unknown
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?
Pinky Cole
Oh, how early? Ooh. 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.
Unknown
This was in Baltimore.
Pinky Cole
This was in Baltimore, Right, 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, 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 want to 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.
Unknown
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.
Elise Hu
Hustle.
Pinky Cole
I'm hustle man. Yes, Hustle.
Unknown
Okay, but what about the veganism part? Because your dad was from Jamaica, right? So there was Ital food was part of your Tell people about that.
Pinky Cole
So my mother and my father guys are Rastafarian, so that's Ethiopian Christianity. So I grew up eating like all itel 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 that's connected 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 want to 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. That it would turn into this $100 million company called Slutty Vegan?
Unknown
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?
Pinky Cole
That is correct.
Unknown
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 place.
Pinky Cole
Okay? This was so random. I was a producer at the Maury show. You were not the father of that. Yes. I 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 Maury. 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 about, 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 going to 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 tax. I mean, they got me afterwards, Right? However, I had a thriving business.
Unknown
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?
Pinky Cole
Now that I look back over my life, some people just got it. You ever met a friend that they just like? Something about them, they just got it.
Unknown
Yeah, but what were you doing? I want to understand myself. But you painted it a particular color, did you not?
Pinky Cole
I painted it pink.
Unknown
Right. Okay.
Pinky Cole
My name.
Unknown
It's just that simple.
Pinky Cole
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.
Unknown
But was it vegan food then, or were you serving.
Pinky Cole
Absolutely not. It wasn't vegan food.
Unknown
Okay, so what were you serving?
Pinky Cole
Oxtails. Oxtails and jerk chicken. And I'm like, eat that jerk chicken.
Unknown
It's good. Yeah.
Pinky Cole
But I wasn't in alignment.
Farnoosh Chirrabi
Oh.
Pinky Cole
And I was serving something to people that I wouldn't even eat, so it wasn't real interesting. And that's why I didn't last.
Unknown
What happened?
Pinky Cole
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 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.
Unknown
Okay, so take us through what happened next.
Pinky Cole
I got a call from a show called Iyanla fix my life to work as a casting director. And I'm like, hell, yeah, I'm coming. Like, where 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 Ms. 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.
Unknown
So you literally went to work on a show called how to fix your life.
Pinky Cole
Exactly.
Unknown
I mean, the irony of it all.
Pinky Cole
Like, dying the nanzos here.
Unknown
Yeah.
Pinky Cole
And I'm helping people come up for air. That's what I mean when I say the story is already written. Like, it's so divine that, like, 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 Claire. There's nothing more special in the world than clarity. And because I got Claire, that's when I created Slutty Vegan.
Unknown
Okay, so the moment when you're like, I gotta get back to my sort of roots, the vegan food that I love, and I wanna bring it to more people, talk me through the genesis, the origin story then of Slutty Vegan.
Pinky Cole
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 a 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, I want this to be racy and provocative. And if I name Vegan Slutty, I know that people are going to pay attention, right? Like, 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 got to 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, company, multimillion dollar company, growing, helping community, and most importantly, helping people to reimagine food.
Unknown
How many of you have eaten at a Slutty Vegan? 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.
Pinky Cole
What?
Unknown
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.
Pinky Cole
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 coming to buy food, you're going to leave out and you're going to 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.
Unknown
I think it's really interesting that you just said this is going to be the best experience. Not meal, burger, you know, dinner experience. So tell me, I mean, tell me about the color scheme that you chose, how you named the items on the menu for people. Really paint a picture of us. For us. What? I mean, one of the dishes is called the menage a trois and which at first you're like, oh, French. Oh, French. Like telescope. Tell us about, you know, because you are the person who writes all the copy. You do it all.
Pinky Cole
I'm laughing about your comment mad slutty yesterday, but yeah, so the colors, right? So like their psych. We know this, their psychology and colors. I knew that red and yellow would make you want to 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.
Elise Hu
I don't know, whatever.
Pinky Cole
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 could 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.
Unknown
Do you know how many of your customers are hardcore vegans versus, like, don't even really know what that means?
Pinky Cole
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.
Unknown
Oh, interesting.
Pinky Cole
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 want to see what the hype is about or people who want to try vegan food for the first time. Tells me that I can stand amongst the McDonald's, the Burger Kings, 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.
Unknown
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 gotta 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. Like, 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?
Pinky Cole
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. That 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 want to hear about climate change. But if I can reverse psychology the notion that, okay, we need to talk about this, but I'm going to give you this first and I'm going to 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 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 don'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 response, responsibility as a vegan restaurateur in this hospitality space, in a space where still this, you know, 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. Yeah, it is hard. I'm on the front lines. Sometimes I'm by myself.
Unknown
Let's talk more about that because, I mean, you started this business not even that long ago, what, five, six years ago now? We had a pandemic, which is bananas. What is it like to be a business entrepreneur? Preneur. Now, are you, do you want to keep scaling? You have what, 12 and growing locations? Or do you just say, you know what, I'm doing this, I'm doing it. Well, let's, let's hold on to the status quo or do you, what do you see what you want to do next?
Pinky Cole
Scaling. I have one word for scaling.
Unknown
Let's hear it.
Pinky Cole
Ghetto. Oh, I'm joking.
Unknown
I don't even know what that means. You have to tell me.
Pinky Cole
I'm going to be honest. Okay, listen, let me. 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 the 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 seen closing their doors every week? There's tons. So the reality of it is, is sustaining is one thing. Right? Being popular is another thing. You gotta keep those doors open. So I'm working. I'm like a duck, and 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.
Unknown
Okay, so you are going after growth.
Pinky Cole
Yes, yes.
Unknown
Can you give us a hint? Something like that.
Pinky Cole
Okay, so there's a lot of growth happening with slutty vegan. I'm going to the airport. Hartsville Jackson International Airport. It will be the first ever vegan restaurant in the busiest airport in the world. Yes. 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 can 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.
Unknown
Big applause for Pinky Cole.
Elise Hu
That was Pinky Cole in conversation with Minouche Zomorodi at ted next in 2024. If you're curious about Ted's curation, find out more@ted.com curationguidelines 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 Greene, Lucy Little, Alejandra Salazar and Tonsika Sarmarnivon. It was mixed by Christopher Faizy Bogan. Additional support from Emma Tobner and Daniela Ballarezzo. I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed. Thanks for listening. Support for this show comes from Capital One Banking with Capital One helps you.
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Elise Hu
Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh, really?
Minouche Zomorodi
Thanks.
Elise Hu
Capital One Bank Guy. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC.
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Podcast Summary: TED Talks Daily – How I Make Vegan Food Sexy | Pinky Cole
Episode Information
In this episode of TED Talks Daily, hosted by Elise Hu and Minouche Zomorodi, Pinky Cole, the visionary behind the wildly successful Slutty Vegan brand in Atlanta, Georgia, shares her inspiring journey of transforming vegan cuisine into a trendy and inclusive dining experience. Pinky delves into her entrepreneurial roots, the evolution of her vegan lifestyle, the unique branding strategies of Slutty Vegan, and the challenges and triumphs of scaling a plant-based restaurant in a competitive industry.
Timestamp: 03:31 – 04:57
Pinky Cole opens up about her formative years, highlighting the significant influence of her parents on her entrepreneurial spirit:
Pinky Cole [03:51]: "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."
Growing up in Baltimore, Pinky's mother juggled multiple jobs while passionately leading a reggae band, instilling in Pinky the values of hard work and creativity. Despite her father's incarceration for 22 years, his teachings about risk-taking and entrepreneurship left a lasting impression.
Timestamp: 04:16 – 04:57
From a young age, Pinky was immersed in entrepreneurial activities, from selling candy and frozen cup donuts to flipping McChicken sandwiches for profit during high school:
Pinky Cole [04:22]: "I have been an entrepreneur for a very long time... 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."
Timestamp: 05:13 – 06:20
Pinky discusses her journey toward veganism, rooted in her Rastafarian upbringing which emphasized Ital — a diet focused on natural and plant-based foods:
Pinky Cole [05:21]: "I grew up eating like all itel food, beans, food from the ground... So I already had a different level of consciousness when I was growing up."
In college, Pinky gradually shifted her diet away from animal products, first eliminating meat except for fish in 2007 and fully embracing veganism by 2014. This personal transformation was not just about dietary changes but also represented a pivotal elevation in her life:
Pinky Cole [06:20]: "I decided to go completely vegan. Don't ask me why. I'm like, I'm a master faster... it was time to make an elevation, and that elevation was veganism."
Timestamp: 06:36 – 12:14
Pinky recounts her unexpected foray into the restaurant business, despite having no prior experience:
Pinky Cole [06:36]: "I was a producer at the Maury show... one of my friends had a Jamaican restaurant and offered me to sublease it."
Trusting in her intuition and the concept of favor, Pinky launched her first restaurant, which initially offered non-vegan dishes like oxtails and jerk chicken. However, misalignment between her personal values and the menu led to a burnout, culminating in a grease fire that destroyed the restaurant and left her financially and personally devastated:
Pinky Cole [08:00]: "I had a grease fire, and that restaurant caught on fire, and I lost everything... that was a turning point in my life."
Determined to start anew, Pinky took a role as a casting director on the show Iyanla: Fix My Life, which provided her the clarity and reset she needed. It was during this period of introspection that the concept of Slutty Vegan was born.
Timestamp: 10:50 – 12:14
Living in a modest two-bedroom apartment in Atlanta, Pinky conceived the idea of Slutty Vegan as a way to make vegan food enticing and provocative:
Pinky Cole [10:50]: "I wanted to reimagine food in a way that you've never seen it before... I wanted this to be racy and provocative."
The unique naming and vibrant branding were strategic choices to make veganism appealing and accessible, breaking the stereotype that plant-based food is bland or unexciting.
Timestamp: 12:14 – 15:21
Slutty Vegan stands out not just for its plant-based menu but also for its bold, unapologetic branding. Pinky explains the psychology behind the restaurant's aesthetic and menu:
Pinky Cole [14:05]: "I knew that red and yellow would make you want to eat. It'll make you pay attention... 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."
The provocative names of menu items, such as the "Menage a Trois" burger, are designed to spark curiosity and conversation, effectively drawing in a diverse clientele who might not otherwise consider vegan dining options.
A significant insight from Pinky reveals that 70% of Slutty Vegan's customers are not actually vegan, underscoring the restaurant's wide appeal and inclusive nature:
Pinky Cole [15:28]: "70% of people who come to Slutty Vegan are not even vegan... I can stand amongst the McDonald's, the Burger King, the Chick-fil-A because it's a brand that's inclusive for everybody."
This inclusive approach is central to Slutty Vegan's success, making plant-based food accessible and enjoyable for a broad audience.
Timestamp: 16:07 – 18:32
While Pinky initially focused on making vegan food delicious and attractive, her perspective expanded to recognize the environmental implications of meat consumption. Joining the honorary board of PETA and engaging with environmental advocates deepened her understanding of veganism's role in combating climate change:
Pinky Cole [16:38]: "It's not just about not eating animals. It's about the climate, it's about changing the world, it's about the carbon footprint."
However, Pinky strategically prioritizes creating a positive dining experience over direct advocacy, believing that engagement through good food can naturally lead to more profound conversations about sustainability:
Pinky Cole [17:15]: "If I can reverse psychology the notion that, okay, we need to talk about this, but I'm going to give you this first and I'm going to get you drawn in and once I have your attention, then we can have the hard conversations."
By fostering a welcoming community centered around great food, Slutty Vegan serves as a platform for broader discussions on environmental responsibility without alienating customers.
Timestamp: 18:32 – 21:26
Scaling Slutty Vegan into a multimillion-dollar enterprise with over a dozen locations has been fraught with challenges. Pinky candidly shares the difficulties of replicating her unique brand experience across multiple venues:
Pinky Cole [19:03]: "Scaling a business is the hardest thing that I've ever had to do... sometimes I'm ready to descale. Let me close some of these stores."
Despite the hurdles, Pinky's commitment to growth remains steadfast. She acknowledges the intense effort required to maintain quality and brand integrity while expanding:
Pinky Cole [20:39]: "There's a lot of growth happening with Slutty Vegan. I'm going to the Hartsville Jackson International Airport, which will be the first ever vegan restaurant in the busiest airport in the world."
Pinky's future plans include further expansion into prominent locations and increased national visibility, exemplified by her appearance on a national TV show, aiming to solidify Slutty Vegan's presence as a leading vegan brand.
Pinky Cole's journey from a small-town entrepreneur to the founder of a groundbreaking vegan restaurant chain exemplifies resilience, creativity, and a deep commitment to making a positive impact. Through Slutty Vegan, Pinky successfully bridges the gap between delicious food and meaningful change, demonstrating that plant-based cuisine can be both sexy and socially responsible. Her story is a testament to the power of authenticity and innovative branding in transforming industries and fostering inclusive communities.
Notable Quotes:
This episode of TED Talks Daily offers a compelling look into how Pinky Cole has revolutionized the perception of vegan food through strategic branding, inclusive community-building, and unwavering dedication. Her story is not only inspirational for aspiring entrepreneurs but also highlights the significant role that innovative businesses can play in addressing larger environmental and social issues.