Entrepreneur Aisha “Pinky” Cole Hayes, founder of the popular Slutty Vegan restaurant chain, 

has announced plans to franchise the business after regaining full ownership earlier this year.

According to Franchise Times, startup costs for a single-unit Slutty Vegan franchise range between $555,900 and $1.16 million, while multi-unit operations are projected between $587,900 and $1.20 million. Cole Hayes said the new phase of expansion follows a period of restructuring and financial recovery.

“I went to restructure on February 13 of 2025 and then I repurchased the company March 28, 2025,” Hayes told the outlet. We're in September, and I'm about to announce franchising. I've never, in my history of being an entrepreneur or professional in the hospitality space, seen anybody that has done what I've done in less than one year.”

Before restructuring, Slutty Vegan operated up to 18 locations. After taking back control under her new entity, “Ain’t Nobody Coming to See You, Otis LLC,” she closed several stores, leaving six operational sites nationwide.

Cole Hayes said she expanded too quickly in the brand’s early years. “We grew really, really fast. But I don’t necessarily believe that we had the right people,” she told AfroTech.

Shawntel Daniels, president of Slutty Vegan’s franchise division, said new franchisees must have experience in the food industry and strong entrepreneurial backgrounds. “What I want to focus on is making sure that these are people that are true entrepreneurs,” Daniels said.

Overall, the growth plan for the brand is ambitious. 

“What I want to focus on is making sure that these are people that are true entrepreneurs, that have some restaurant background, that understand food and it’s not just someone that’s really excited about being a part of the brand,” Cole Hayes said. “We love that as well, but we want people that really want to invest that time and the money towards growing the brand. A franchise isn’t just, ‘Hey, let’s slap the name on it and it’s going to do well.’”