Pinky Cole, founder of plant-based burger chain Slutty Vegan, is joining online food ordering company DoorDash as its new chief restaurant advisor. Cole will spend one year in the position, succeeding American chef and television personality Stephanie Izard.
DoorDash announced the creation of the chief restaurant advisor position in April 2021 as a way to connect better with local businesses. The person occupying the role serves as a “voice of the industry” within DoorDash and an “influential liaison” between the company and the restaurant industry.
“Pinky’s ambitious entrepreneurial mindset for expanding her restaurant empire, coupled with her love for connecting with the communities she operates within through the Pinky Cole Foundation, makes her an ideal operator to assume the role of Chief Restaurant Advisor,” said DoorDash’s chief revenue officer Tom Pickett.
“Before beginning Slutty Vegan, I worked as a Dasher in Los Angeles — so serving as chief restaurant advisor is a full-circle moment for me,” Cole added.
DoorDash also revealed that it is adding the “Speed Dial” function to the list of chief restaurant advisor’s duties. This means that certain company executives will be able to discuss “hot button industry topics” in real-time with Cole.
Pinky Cole started Slutty Vegan in 2018 by selling vegan burgers through delivery apps. She later opened a food truck before transitioning to a brick-and-mortar location in 2019.
DoorDash is currently the largest food order and delivery platform in the United States. It has a 56 percent market share, 450,000 merchants, and one million deliverers.