“Our mission isn’t to tell people to go vegan–but rather, to inspire guests to open up horizons with something new and different.”

Vegan entrepreneur Pinky Cole has partnered with Shake Shack to roll out a limited-offer vegan burger.

The SluttyShack burger is part of Shake Shack’s “Now Serving” series – a collaboration that aims to promote local chefs around the country.

The blended name refers to Cole’s Atlanta, GA-based chain Slutty Vegan and Shake Shack.

 It will feature a Shake Shack veggie patty, topped with Pinky’s secret Slut Dust, lemon ginger kale, caramelized onions, vegan ranch, and vegan mayo all assembled on Slutty Vegan’s signature toasted Hawaiian bun.

Not only is this lip-smacking collab to encourage more people to try something different, but proceeds from each burger sale will also be donated to Giving Kitchen in Atlanta, a crisis relief organization for people in the food and beverage industry, and ROAR in New York, a community of hospitality leaders advocating for the NYC restaurant industry.

The vegan burger priced at $8.49 will be available at Shake Shack Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta on 8^th April and at Shake Shack Harlem in New York City on 8^th and 9^th April.

‘Open up horizons’

“Our mission isn’t to tell people to go vegan–but rather, to inspire guests to open up horizons with something new and different,” Pinky Cole said.

 “Partnering with Shake Shack is a natural way of furthering this mission–enjoy one of America’s most beloved burger spots, but try it with a twist.

“Philanthropy is the core of who I am, and I’m encouraged by Shake Shack’s aligned outlook on giving back to its communities. Our goal with this collab is to build support for communities and industries close to our hearts.”

‘Support communities’

Mark Rosati, Culinary Director of Shake Shack added: “Over the last year, we’ve all heard of Pinky Cole and the impact she’s making, not just in Atlanta and New York but across the country.

“Having the chance to collaborate with her and her team on this burger has been an honor – not only has it been fun and creative, but it’s been inspiring. We’re really proud to work alongside the Slutty Vegan team and support communities near and dear to us both.” 

Slutty Vegan

Pinky Cole started her empire Slutty Vegan from a food truck in 2018. Since then, her business has soared to expand into three brick-and-mortar locations in Georgia. This year, Birmingham, AL will be the first restaurant location for Slutty Vegan outside of Georgia.

The 33-year-old has also launched  The Pinky Cole Foundation, to support community building and social justice initiatives along with education in communities of color. 

In the last year, her non-profit offered jobs and college scholarships to about 30 current or former juvenile offenders and the rent of local Atlanta businesses so that they could stay afloat during the pandemic.

The organisation also gifted a car, college scholarships, and life insurance policies to the widow and kids of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks after an Atlanta police officer shot him in June.

“I just thought it was going to be something dope and cool to do,” Cole told Fast Company.

 “And here we are, two years later: I have one of the hottest concepts in the country. I’m thriving in a pandemic. I’ve been able to help my community in which I serve and give people hope that you can really create a business and it could be bigger than you’ve ever imagined.”

• Read: Hong Kong grocery store pledges to stop selling fish post Seaspiracy

Share this story: Black-owned ‘Slutty Vegan’ and Shake Shack launch limited-edition vegan burgers in Atlanta and NYC.