Atlanta-based restaurant Slutty Vegan is headed to Savannah. Could a permanent home follow?

Being called a slut isn't normally a term of endearment, but with the plant-based burger chain Slutty Vegan, it's the best compliment. The Black-owned restaurant known for its vegan burgers made an Instagram announcement Tuesday that it would be making its way to Savannah soon.

Details are limited and no date has been announced, but Savannah locals didn't hesitate to show their excitement and anticipation in the comments of being "sluttified," a term used by the restaurant staff for customers who try the burgers for the first time.

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Founder and CEO Pinky Cole founded the Atlanta-based restaurant in 2018. It grew from a shared kitchen to a food truck, to her first brick-and-mortar store; since then, the popularity of the restaurant has grown. Cole has worked to build a business known for its infamous long lines where people wait for hours to try the hefty, toppings-loaded burgers, a fun and trendy atmosphere that invites people into the world of veganism, celebrity fans and Slutty Vegan merch.

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Pinky Cole is the founder and driving force behind Slutty Vegan, a meat-free burger restaurant in Atlanta. (Courtesy Slutty Vegan)
Pinky Cole is the founder and driving force behind Slutty Vegan, a meat-free burger restaurant in Atlanta. (Courtesy Slutty Vegan)

Thanks to their mobile food truck, the restaurant chain is also known for hosting pop-ups in different cities in Georgia and in the South, so it's not yet clear whether the announcement is of a stop on their food tour or of a brick-and-mortar location.

However, since the opening of the flagship location, Cole has opened three other locations, all in the Atlanta and metro Atlanta area. The expansion doesn't stop there. She announced plans for locations in Athens and Columbus, Georgia, and Birmingham, Alabama, and is scheduled to open a new Slutty Vegan every month this year in a different city.

Customers typical line up at Atlanta's Slutty Vegan an hour before the restaurant opens.
Customers typical line up at Atlanta's Slutty Vegan an hour before the restaurant opens.

The chain usually uses pop-up events with their food truck to gauge interest in a location, which could be the case for Savannah.

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In the past few years, veganism has grown in popularity and visibility, notably seen by the host of vegan restaurants across the U.S. inviting customers to an idea that has hit the mainstream. Savannah has plenty of restaurants that offer vegan and vegetarian options like The Sentient Bean and Kayak Kafe, to name a few. Hungry Vegan, Fox & Fig Cafe and The Haunt are the only 100% plant-based restaurants in the city.

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Laura Nwogu is the quality of life reporter for Savannah Morning News. Contact her at lnwogu@gannett.com. Twitter: @lauranwogu_

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Slutty Vegan announces plans to come to Savannah GA