TL;DR
Slutty Vegan signs a franchise agreement to open its first locations in Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio, with Soul Republic Hospitality Group. The agreement is part of Slutty Vegan's Midwest expansion and national growth strategy.
Atlanta-based Slutty Vegan is expanding into Ohio after signing a franchise agreement to open its first locations in Columbus and Cleveland. Soul Republic Hospitality Group, led by Akin Affrica, will develop the restaurants with the first opening in fall 2026.
"Ohio embodies the bold, hardworking and ready for something different energy that Slutty Vegan was built on," founder and CEO Pinky Cole Hayes said in a company release. "Making our state debut in Columbus and Cleveland was a no-brainer."
Affrica said his company has been interested in bringing the concept to Ohio since first visiting a Slutty Vegan restaurant in Atlanta in 2019.
"Soul Republic Hospitality Group is excited to add Slutty Vegan to our family of Ohio-based hospitality brands," Affrica said in the release.
Founded in Atlanta in 2018, Slutty Vegan has grown from a food truck into a multiunit fast-casual brand known for its plant-based burgers and vegan comfort food. The company said its franchising strategy is focused on partnering with experienced operators as it expands into new markets.
The Ohio agreement marks the latest step in the brand's Midwest expansion as it continues growing its national footprint. In June, it signed deals to open more locations in Atlanta and to enter Washington D.C.
In this story
This story was originally published in FastCasual on July 9, 2026. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
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