A crowd from across Birmingham lined up on 55th Place South in Woodlawn to support Slutty Vegan’s sixth restaurant opening, the first location outside of Georgia. People queued up as early as 6am in anticipation of the 1pm Grand Opening on August 21st. It is a historic moment for Birmingham and the Woodlawn community.   Slutty Vegan Founder and CEO Pinky Cole chose to locate her business in Woodlawn because of the momentum happening in its central business district. Last weekend, Woodlawn also welcomed POLARIS, Alycia Levels-Moore’s flexible co-working and event space, one of many new businesses opening in Woodlawn this year, including d-Trespa Consignment Boutique, Thrive Wellness Lounge, and Woodlawn Bar & Lounge.   Cole received a warm welcome from Barnes & Associates, REV Birmingham, and Woodlawn United who hosted a celebratory Block Party.   “The energy in Woodlawn this weekend was palpable!” said Mashonda Taylor, Woodlawn United Executive Director. “It was inspiring to welcome two Black women-owned businesses to our community. From Alycia Levels-Moore, Founder of POLARIS Birmingham, hosting her Grand Opening to Pinky Cole, Founder of Slutty Vegan, opening her sixth brick and mortar (first location outside of Georgia), our community showed great support and pride. The Woodlawn story continues to evolve, and I’m honored to witness a movement that will impact future generations.”   Cole is a serial entrepreneur dedicated to giving back to communities and mentoring fellow entrepreneurs. The Grand Opening was a perfect example of Cole’s entrepreneurial spirit uplifting small businesses. Forty local Black-owned businesses participated in the Block Party, sharing in the excitement and making connections across the community. As Slutty Vegan helps draw even more people to Woodlawn, we look forward to seeing the businesses in Woodlawn continue to expand and thrive.    Photo by Quentin Renard Gunn