The owner of the 'Slutty Vegan' plant-based fast food chain owes nearly $90,000 in rent after briefly losing her business earlier this year, a new lawsuit claims.
Aisha 'Pinky' Cole, 37, is the CEO and founder of Slutty Vegan, which rose to national fame after starting as a food truck in 2018.
However, the business has faced recent economic hardship that forced Cole to sell in February, reported WSBTV.
Although she was able to buy Slutty Vegan back a month later, the business that once operated 14 locations across four states, now only runs five, according to its website.
A new lawsuit filed in Georgia last week claimed Cole and her company owe more than $87,000 in rent, late fees and interest on two of her Atlanta locations.
Cole's landlord, Asana Partners LCC, alleges that they have not receive rent payments for her restaurant sites Slutty Vegan and The Morning After, which never opened, on Edgewood Avenue.
According to the court filings obtained by Fox 5, the lawsuit claims Cole is behind $40,000 in rent in both properties, which is compounded by a five percent late fee and an interest rate on past due amounts of seven percent.
Slutty Vegan CEO and founder, Aisha 'Pinky' Cole, 37, is being sued by her Atlanta landlord over claims she has not paid rent
The landlord claims she owes nearly $90,000 in rent for her Slutty Vegan (pictured) and The Morning After, which never opened, restaurant properties on Edgewood Avenue
The Daily Mail has contacted Cole and Slutty Vegan for comment.
Slutty Vegan skyrocketed to fame after its opening, receiving praises from the likes of Usher, Viola Davis, Snoop Dog, Spike Lee, Shaquille O'Neal, Gabrielle Union and more.
Last September, Robin Thicke took over Slutty Vegan's Edgewood Avenue location for the day.
Despite's celebrity endorsements, Cole revealed that Slutty Vegan underwent restructuring after suffering major financial trouble earlier this year.
'Right now in this moment, I've really been in a place of peace, but I had a really rocky 2024,' she told People.
'Our corporate overhead was about $10million. I was chasing something that I couldn't catch for so many reasons.'
She was forced to hand over ownership of the business in February, but was able to buy it back on March 28 for an undisclosed amount.
During an appearance on the Tamron Hall show in May, Cole announced her plans to reclaim the business and launch 'Slutty Vegan 2.0,' which includes new menu options.
Cole and the Slutty Vegan franchise, which once had 14 locations, now only has five. Last September, Robin Thicke took over the Edgewood Avenue location (pictured)
Cole revealed the business faced recent economic hardship that forced her to sell in February, but she was able to buy it back a month later
'I am the owner of the company,' Cole said. 'It is mine, it belongs to me. And I am showing every single entrepreneur out there, sometimes this industry gets really predatory, and I'm reclaiming what's mine, and I'm happy about that.'
In June, plans to open a Slutty Vegan location at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were scrapped, local news outlets reported.
Additionally, another landlord in Baltimore sued Cole for failing to pay rent on one of her Slutty Vegan locations, reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The lawsuit claims Slutty Vegan defaulted on its obligations to pay rent and failed to pay a 2024 judgment, which resulted in the landlord taking back the space.
The landlord is seeking nearly $130,000 in damages, the filing said.
