The financial turmoil surrounding Real Housewives of Atlanta star Pinky Cole Hayes and her restaurant empire has taken another turn after prosecutors in Georgia indicted her former CFO on multiple felony charges tied to Bar Vegan, the now-closed restaurant formerly associated with the Slutty Vegan brand.
According to court filings obtained by Black Enterprise, former Bar Vegan CFO Aaron Mattison was indicted in August on charges including theft by taking, first-degree forgery, and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that Mattison carried out unauthorized financial transactions while overseeing the company’s finances between 2021 and 2022.
Authorities claim Mattison created fraudulent financial records that appeared to have company approval before allegedly using them to initiate an $87,300 wire transfer for personal use. Investigators also accuse him of withdrawing company funds in repeated $600 transactions totaling more than $24,000, then moving those funds through multiple accounts in what prosecutors described as a money-laundering operation.
Cole Hayes has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case.
The indictment arrives during an already difficult financial chapter for the entrepreneur, whose businesses have spent the last two years navigating lawsuits, restructuring, and bankruptcy proceedings tied to rapid expansion.
Bar Vegan was once positioned as part of Cole Hayes’ larger hospitality vision, alongside Slutty Vegan, the plant-based burger chain that exploded in popularity after its 2018 launch in Atlanta. The restaurant later became entangled in legal issues of its own, including a 2022 lawsuit filed by a former employee alleging unpaid wages, overtime violations, and withheld tips. That case was settled in early 2023.
Cole Hayes previously denied intentionally withholding wages and attributed operational problems to the pace of the company’s growth. In earlier interviews, she openly discussed how aggressive expansion and soaring corporate overhead contributed to broader financial instability across the business.
“You can never take your hands off the wheel,” she said while reflecting on the company’s restructuring efforts.
The indictment also landed months after Pinky Cole Hayes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reporting liabilities of $1.3 million to $1.4 million. Court records showed debts owed to both the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Georgia Department of Revenue.
