Slutty Vegan is leaving Baltimore Peninsula

Baltimore Peninsula is losing its much-hyped tenant Slutty Vegan.

Developers of the waterfront neighborhood didn’t provide a date for the departure of the plant-based sandwich shop, but thanked the company for “its role in helping establish the success of our retail district.”

In a release, Slutty Vegan billed the closure as a relocation, with a new spot planned for “the campus of Johns Hopkins Hospital on Monument Street” sometime next year.

“This move is about people,” said ”The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star and founder Pinky Cole Hayes in a statement. “Baltimore is my home, and this brand was built on showing up for the communities that show up for us.” Johns Hopkins Medicine did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We have been aware of the broader challenges taking place within the Slutty Vegan organization and wish them well moving forward,” Baltimore Peninsula officials wrote in a statement. “We look forward to announcing a new concept for the space that will bring a strong operator and new experiences to the neighborhood.”

Cole Hayes’ announcement follows years of turmoil for the restaurant, which is headquartered in Atlanta, and equally tumultuous times for Baltimore Peninsula, which recently saw the departure of its lead developer, MAG Partners.

It all seemed so promising back in 2023, when MAG Partners invited Mayor Brandon Scott and Morgan State University’s marching band to announce Slutty Vegan’s arrival. Cole Hayes was billed as a development partner in the Rye Street Market, where her restaurant opened in late 2024.

Within years of launching her provocatively named, plant-based burger shop in Atlanta, Cole Hayes saw long lines and generous press coverage.

But Cole Hayes later acknowledged that behind the scenes, the company was “sinking,” hobbled by $20 million in debt. She eventually lost the business to her creditors, buying back just the name and branding as well as some of the locations, including the one in Baltimore. During the restructuring, Slutty Vegan’s creditors closed several branches, including those at Spelman College, Georgia Tech and in Harlem, New York.

This year, Cole Hayes filed for bankruptcy.

It’s unclear what will happen to Bar Vegan, a sister establishment connected to Slutty Vegan at Baltimore Peninsula. The business, which rebranded late last year as Bar V 2.0, was shut down last month by Baltimore’s liquor board after officials learned it had changed operators. Deputy Executive Secretary Michelle Wirzberger said the situation was complicated by matters related to the ongoing bankruptcy.

“We have to be notified immediately if there’s any change in the financial interest in the operation,” she said, adding that an entity can’t “rent out their establishment.” Bar Vegan remains closed.

This article has been updated to correct Slutty Vegan's significance as a tenant at Baltimore Peninsula.