Pinky Cole Hayes has updated her bankruptcy filings again, revealing that her total debt load has climbed to roughly $4 million as the Slutty Vegan founder and Real Housewives of Atlanta star continues navigating the financial fallout tied to the rapid rise of her restaurant empire.
New amendments filed on May 19 in her Chapter 11 case provide a broader breakdown of liabilities tied to the entrepreneur’s finances. The updated documents, obtained by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, include more than $80,000 in credit card balances, unpaid rent tied to Atlanta-area properties, restaurant supply debt, medical bills, and even roadway toll charges.
According to the filings, JLL Realty is owed more than $363,000 in unpaid rent, while restaurant supplier Edward Don & Company claims Pinky Cole owes over $107,000 in unpaid invoices, plus attorney’s fees and interest connected to an ongoing lawsuit.
The latest disclosures mark a sharp increase from her earlier bankruptcy filings, which initially listed debts tied primarily to a $1.2 million Small Business Administration loan and nearly $192,000 owed in Georgia taxes. She reportedly filed the original case without an attorney before later bringing on bankruptcy lawyer Jamie Christy to amend and reorganize the filings.
The expanded debt picture arrives as Cole continues balancing public scrutiny with a growing media profile. The Slutty Vegan founder is currently appearing on The Real Housewives of Atlanta while also using social media and podcast appearances to explain how the company’s aggressive expansion created behind-the-scenes financial pressure.
In an interview on The Breakfast Club, Pinky Cole described how scaling the business eventually overwhelmed its finances. “As a result, we got $20 million in debt,” she said. “Yes, we were making money, double-digit millions, but if your payroll is high and you have all of these costs and everything is adding up, your bottom line is going to be red.”
Slutty Vegan launched as an Atlanta food truck in 2018 before rapidly expanding into multiple states and reaching a reported valuation of $100 million. The brand’s growth later coincided with store closures, lawsuits involving unpaid wages and rent, and restructuring efforts that forced Cole to temporarily relinquish control of the company before buying it back through a new entity.
Since then, she has attempted to reposition the company through a franchise-focused strategy branded internally as “Slutty Vegan 2.0.” But the amended bankruptcy filings suggest the financial cleanup remains ongoing.
The updated records also show smaller debts owed to medical providers, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, EMS services, and toll authorities in Georgia and Ohio.
