Big Dave’s, Slutty Vegan owners launch vegan cheesesteak concept Dinkies

The owners of two popular Atlanta restaurants are joining forces on a new plant-based concept.

Big Dave’s owner Derrick Hayes and Pinky Cole, the owner of popular vegan burger eatery Slutty Vegan, opened Dinkies Feb. 28 inside Bar Vegan, Cole’s newly-opened bar and restaurant on the second floor of Ponce City Market.

The eatery inside an eatery -- the name is a combination of Dave and Pinky -- offers a concise menu featuring a plant-based Dinkies Cheezesteak made with Impossible meat, mushrooms, onions, sweet peppers, banana peppers and American and provolone cheese, as well as traditional and sweet potato tots.

Dinkies isn’t the first collaboration between Cole and Hayes. The pair teamed up last year to give Rayshard Brooks’ widow and four children a new car and life insurance policies, and the two partnered with Clark Atlanta University to provide an all-inclusive college education package, valued at $600,000, for the children.

Hayes operates Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks locations in downtown Atlanta and in Doraville, as well as a food truck. In addition to Bar Vegan, Cole owns three Slutty Vegan locations in Atlanta and Jonesboro, and a Slutty Vegan food truck.

Cole said she and Hayes have plans to open more Dinkies locations in the future.