It was a three-hour wait, but Ofe Vanderpuije and her daughter Camille battled the bitter cold temperatures on Saturday to be among the first to experience the Slutty Vegan, an Atlanta-based restaurant chain that opened up shop in the Baltimore Peninsula.

The mother and daughter, who were numbers six and seven in line respectively, joined a crowd of well over 100 people waiting in line for a chance to enjoy restaurant entrepreneur Pinky Cole’s new eatery.

The New Baltimore Twilighters Marching Band shook pom poms and banged on drums as the line for food snaked from the restaurant on Distillery Street to East Cromwell Street.

Over speakers, an MC could be heard shouting: “We love you here Pinky Cole! Welcome home, baby girl!”

Born and raised in Baltimore, Cole had been teasing a return to Charm City since 2022, two years after her Slutty Vegan business began to take off. While in its infancy, Cole characterized the restaurant’s concepts as a mix between the two most pleasurable experiences: sex and food.

Her menus are provocative. Listing plant-based burgers slathered in vegan cheese with names ranging from the “Sloppy Toppy” to the “Hollywood Hooker”, a meat and dairy-less spin on the Philly Cheesesteak.

Fans of Cole’s fast-casual vegan food said they had been following the chain to other states, notably in New York, Texas and Georgia.

Cole, a former TV producer, started Slutty Vegan in Atlanta in 2018, building a following that includes celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Tyler Perry.

The Vanderpuijes became converts after visiting one of the company’s locations in Atlanta.

“It’s genuinely just good food,” Ofe Vanderpuije said, adding that at first she didn’t know what to expect from the business.

When it was time to put in her order on Saturday, she got one of her favorites the “One Night Stand” — a vegan burger served with strips of meatless bacon, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and vegan cheese with signature Slut Sauce on a Hawaiian Bun.

The “vibe” in the restaurant is unlike any other, said Camille Vanderpuije, who proudly noted the restaurant is Black-owned and makes use of bright colors, loud music to create a memorable experience for customers.

In many ways that experience is an extension of Cole, who moved through the crowd Saturday taking pictures, singing and dancing. She set up a swing and signs calling on Baltimoreans to be “Slutty”. Cole even gave a preview of her bright purple and green sit-down lounge, Bar Vegan, an adjacent space to Slutty Vegan set to open Jan. 7.

“It’s all so beautiful,” she said of the crowd of patrons waiting to eat. “It’s coming together exactly like we hoped it would.”

Her director of operations Taaj Parks said they were expecting about 1,000 people to come out the first day. The line of eager food enthusiasts continued to grow past 2 p.m., about an hour after Slutty Vegan opened its doors.

“I’m not even vegan and I’m excited,” said Aja Lewis, who waited further back in line with her cousin and friend. The group stood in fleeced jackets, hungry for “Slutty Burgers”.

“And it’s a Black owner,” said her cousin London Lewis, who was thrilled about that fact.

Neither Aja Lewis nor her friend Tasha Chambers had ever been to the Baltimore Peninsula neighborhood, but they weathered the wind chill to support the new business.

“It’s bringing more light to the city,” Chambers said.

The area formerly known as the Port Covington neighborhood is changing. Two weeks ago, Under Armour opened its new headquarters down the road and housing developments are being built.

Aja Lewis feels as though its coming alive with Cole’s arrival.

“I really hope it stays here,” she said.