---
title: "Slutty Vegan Spreads the Love to the Buckeye State with Ohio Debut in Columbus and Cleveland"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/f46cb993-a2eb-4e22-8b7b-1181fc74f73b
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20260713_slutty_vegan_spreads_the_love_to_the_buckeye_state_with_ohio_debut_in_colum.html
category: "Burger"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Burger"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2026-07-13T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T14:57:30.058Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555396273-367ea4eb4db5?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Slutty Vegan Spreads the Love to the Buckeye State with Ohio Debut in Columbus and Cleveland

**TL;DR:** Slutty Vegan is expanding to Ohio through a partnership with Soul Republic Hospitality Group, with locations opening in Columbus and Cleveland. The brand, founded by Pinky Cole Hayes, has grown from a food truck to a restaurant concept with locations across the US.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-07-13. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20260713_slutty_vegan_spreads_the_love_to_the_buckeye_state_with_ohio_debut_in_colum.html).*

## Story

The brand has partnered with operators who understand both the business fundamentals and the culture behind the brand. Soul Republic Hospitality Group, led by Akin Affrica, is involved in the collaboration.

"Soul Republic Hospitality Group is excited to add Slutty Vegan to our family of Ohio based hospitality brands," said Akin Affrica, Founder of Soul Republic Hospitality Group. "I first visited Slutty Vegan in Atlanta in 2019 and quickly became a fan of both the guest experience and the business behind it. I knew then that I wanted to be part of the brand's growth.

From that first email to Pinky to signing our franchise agreements, we have built Soul Republic into a family of seven brands and a dozen locations, and we could not be more ready to bring the Slutty Vegan experience to Ohio, beginning in Cleveland and Columbus."

“Ohio embodies the bold, hardworking and ready for something different energy that Slutty Vegan was built on,” said Pinky Cole Hayes, Founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan. “Making our state debut in Columbus and Cleveland was a no-brainer and we’re looking forward to creating opportunity, building legacy and proving that plant-based dining can be fun, loud and unapologetically delicious in these markets and every market we enter thereafter.”

Since launching in Atlanta in 2018, Slutty Vegan has grown from a food truck to a restaurant concept with locations across the United States. The founder, Pinky Cole Hayes, is a public figure known for writing and philanthropy and has expanded the brand beyond its original concept. Hayes appeared on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Atlanta for its 17th season, introducing Slutty Vegan to a broader audience.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- unit expansion (topic)
- QSR (sector)
- Atlanta (location)
- ohio (location)
- franchise partnership (topic)
- Columbus (location)
- restaurant concept (topic)
- Cleveland (location)
- Slutty Vegan (company)
- Pinky Cole Hayes (person)
- Soul Republic Hospitality Group (company)

---
Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20260713_slutty_vegan_spreads_the_love_to_the_buckeye_state_with_ohio_debut_in_colum.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/f46cb993-a2eb-4e22-8b7b-1181fc74f73b).