Slutty Vegan and founder Aisha “Pinky” Cole are tangled in several active and recent legal matters: an unpaid-rent lawsuit in Atlanta, two federal wage-theft cases (one settled, one still in settlement discussions), a criminal indictment of a former Bar Vegan chief financial officer, and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy that produced a court ruling against a creditor who seized Cole’s home. The lawsuits against Slutty Vegan have piled up as the plant-based burger chain shrank from 14 locations to roughly six.
The Atlanta Unpaid-Rent Lawsuit
In August 2025, Delaware-based Asana Partners LLC sued Pinky Cole and Slutty Vegan, Inc. in Fulton County state court over rent owed on two Edgewood Avenue properties in Atlanta. Those spaces housed the original Slutty Vegan restaurant and a second concept called The Morning After.1FOX 5 Atlanta. Slutty Vegan Pinky Cole Lawsuit Rent Edgewood Avenue
The complaint says the defendants owe at least $87,312.65 in base rent, with additional rent and charges accruing at $13,665.34 per month. Past-due amounts carry a 5% late fee and 7% interest.2BET. Atlanta Restaurateur Pinky Cole Sued Over $87K in Unpaid Rent The original leases were signed by Slutty Vegan Inc. in 2019 and assigned to SV Franchise LLC in July 2025; Asana alleges the new entity then stopped paying.3Yahoo News. Slutty Vegan Owner Owes $87K in Unpaid Rent The case is still open in Fulton County court.
The Brooklyn Wage-Theft Case (Settled)
On April 4, 2023, three former employees of the Brooklyn Slutty Vegan filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York labor law. Latoya Adams and Davaughn Clarke, hired as managers, said they were misclassified as exempt, worked more than 40 hours a week without overtime, and never received promised quarterly bonuses of up to $7,000. Branden Cook, a certified trainer, alleged the restaurant miscalculated his hourly rate, failed to pay him under New York’s “spread of hours” rule, and gave him only two uniform shirts for a five-day workweek without reimbursing laundry costs.4Eater New York. Vegan Burger Chain Slutty Vegan Federal Wage Theft Lawsuit The initial complaint sought damages of more than $150,000.5Business Insider. Slutty Vegan Sued by Brooklyn Employees Over Wage Theft Allegations
The case settled in August 2023 for a lump sum of $10,000 covering unpaid wages, bonuses, and reasonable attorney’s fees, per court filings.6Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Slutty Vegan Workers to Settle Brooklyn Lawsuit Over Unpaid Wages
The Bar Vegan Tip-Pooling Suit
In late 2022, former bartender Morgan Georgia filed a collective-action complaint in federal court against Bar Vegan LLC and its owners, including Cole. The suit alleges Bar Vegan paid tipped employees $2.13 an hour and claimed a federal tip credit while requiring those workers to hand over up to 25% of their tips to non-tipped staff. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, that combination is not permitted.7FOX 5 Atlanta. Atlanta’s Slutty Vegan Chain Facing Lawsuit Over Unpaid Wages in Brooklyn
In January 2023, Cole said on Instagram that she was not familiar with the situation because she did not run Bar Vegan’s daily operations.8HR Dive. Burger Chain Slutty Vegan, Bar Vegan Face Wage and Hour Lawsuits By late 2023, Slutty Vegan ATL LLC had requested a second extension in the case while its lawyers described “meaningful settlement discussions.”9Black Enterprise. Pinky Cole Slutty Vegan Employees Settlement
Former Bar Vegan CFO Indicted
Aaron Mattison, Bar Vegan’s former chief financial officer, was indicted in Georgia on charges of theft by taking, first-degree forgery, and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that between September 2021 and June 2022 he created fraudulent financial documents to execute an unauthorized $87,300 wire transfer for personal gain, and separately withdrew company funds in repeated $600 transactions totaling more than $24,999, moving the money through multiple accounts to conceal it.10TheGrio. Pinky Cole Former CFO Indicted Theft Forgery11Black Enterprise. Pinky Cole’s Former CFO Indicted on Theft, Forgery and Money Laundering Charges Mattison faces potential prison time. The case was still pending as of mid-2026.12Yahoo News. Former Bar Vegan CFO Aaron Mattison Indicted
The Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Cole filed for Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy in January 2026, but the case was dismissed after she failed to pay the filing fee.13Green Queen. Pinky Cole Slutty Vegan Plant-Based Restaurant Bankruptcy14Nation’s Restaurant News. Slutty Vegan Founder Pinky Cole Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy15Bizwomen. Slutty Vegan Bankruptcy Update Debt Lawsuits
Before the bankruptcy, in early 2025, Cole had entered an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors, a state-level alternative to bankruptcy in which a struggling company hands assets to a third-party administrator to pay off debts. Managed by Resolution Financial Advisors, the process caused Cole to temporarily lose ownership of the Slutty Vegan brand for 43 days before she bought it back on March 28, 2025.16FOX 5 Atlanta. Slutty Vegan Owner Pinky Cole Reveals She Almost Lost Her Business
Seized Home Returned by Federal Judge
Days after the Chapter 11 filing, Guardian Asset Management seized a six-bedroom investment property Cole owned in Loganville, Georgia, changing the locks on February 20, 2026, and posting notice that the home could not be entered until sold. Cole argued the seizure violated the automatic stay, the federal bankruptcy provision that halts creditor collection actions the moment a petition is filed.17Atlanta News First. Slutty Vegan Founder Pinky Cole’s Home Seized After Bankruptcy Filing
On March 26, 2026, a federal judge in Atlanta agreed. The court ruled that Guardian had violated bankruptcy protocol by refusing to relinquish the property, ordered the home returned, and awarded Cole attorney fees and court costs, citing Guardian’s “utter disregard of bankruptcy protections.”18Inc. I Feel Vindicated: Slutty Vegan’s Pinky Cole Gets Back House Seized by Creditor
Where Things Stand
Cole’s Chapter 11 reorganization plan carried a June 12, 2026 deadline, and the Asana Partners rent suit remained active in Fulton County court.14Nation’s Restaurant News. Slutty Vegan Founder Pinky Cole Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy The Bar Vegan tip-pooling case remained in settlement discussions as of the last public court activity, and the criminal case against former CFO Aaron Mattison was still pending as of mid-2026.12Yahoo News. Former Bar Vegan CFO Aaron Mattison Indicted The Brooklyn wage case is the only one of the group already resolved.