Unnamed buyer interested in opening new restaurant at former Zesto location in Forest Acres
The new business would have similar food offerings to Zesto's menu, which served burgers, hot dogs, chicken, fries and soft serve ice cream.
FOREST ACRES — A beloved fast food restaurant that closed in December could soon get a new lease on life.
An interested buyer is nearing a deal to open in the former Zesto location at 3239 Forest Drive in Forest Acres, city officials said.
“The city has spoken with a new business looking to revitalize the former Zesto’s,” Shaun Greenwood, Forest Acres city administrator, said in a statement. “We are hopeful this does develop. A local spot with the nostalgic feel of Zesto’s is certainly missed in Forest Acres.”
The new business would have similar food offerings to Zesto's menu, Greenwood said. The former restaurant served burgers, hot dogs, chicken, fries and soft serve ice cream.
A name or opening date for the new business has not been decided, but customers could be returning to the spot as soon as next month, a city spokesperson said.
According to county tax records, was not under new ownership as of April 7. The 1,633-square-foot building was last sold in 1956, according to county records.
The Zesto location closed in December 2024 after the owner retired. The closure was met with an outpouring of admiration for the restaurant on social media from longtime fans and residents.
The restaurant originally opened as part of the Zesto chain of burger, chicken and ice cream joints across the Midlands, before splitting off into its own establishment. Another Zesto in Chapin closed in May 2024. Surviving restaurants from the former chain include the locations in West Columbia and along Columbia’s North Main Street.
