News You Can Eat Happy Birthday, Zesto!

Atlanta ice cream and burger institution celebrates 70 years

By Annie Kinnett Nichols

One of Atlanta’s true icons, Zesto has been serving signature treats like the Nut Brown Crown (soft serve ice cream dipped in milk chocolate and rolled in dry roasted peanuts), Artic Swirl cones, milkshakes, sundaes, banana splits, chili dogs and the Chubby Decker, Atlanta’s first ever double cheeseburger, for 70 years.

In 1949, Big John Livaditis opened the first Zesto franchise in Atlanta on Peachtree Road across from the Brookwood train station. It was instantly popular. Originally from Greece, Big John sponsored his brothers to come to the United States to work with him and the big, happy family opened more Zesto locations.

Big John hired friends and family to work at the stores and made sure his employees got to know the customers. That’s still true today. The employees at the five Zesto locations know your name, and your kids’ names and they know what your favorites are.

Each store has its own personality and special menu items. The Piedmont Avenue store and Tyrone store serve tacos and quesadillas, the Forest Park store is the only one that serves breakfast and East Atlanta has fish and chips as well as fried chicken livers and gizzards. Along with the burgers and hotdogs, all locations offer awesome Greek gyros and lemon pepper chicken wings.

The family atmosphere at Zesto also means that they have longtime employees who have become mainstays and icons themselves. Jimmy Koulouris and his wife Angela at the East Atlanta store, Delores Slaughter at the Piedmont store and Mechelle Harper at the Little Five Points location have all been with Zesto for more than 40 years. They have some great stories to tell, too.

Slaughter recalled when Mayor Maynard Jackson came into the Piedmont store to get his favorite milkshake only to discover the restaurant had no water due to a broken water main. Jackson made one phone call and the repair was made in less than 24 hours, and he was able to buy his milkshake. Rap star Lil Yachty was a regular at the East Atlanta store while working on the film “How High,” which used Zesto as a filming location.

Big John, who also created Big John’s Christmas Trees, died a few years ago and his son and daughter-in-law, Jimbo and Leigh Ann, now run the family business. They are both delightful and upon meeting them I wanted to work for them, too!

To celebrate Zesto’s 70th birthday in Atlanta, Jimbo and Leigh Ann are giving away chili dogs at all stores for 70 cents on July 1. You can also buy a commemorative Zesto T-shirt for $10. They’ll be serving up special menu items all year long, so visit zestoatlanta.com to see the different specials like the mango and peach milkshake and the Zesto Spicy 70th Steakburger.

My advice to you is to find the nearest Zesto and if you’ve never been there, go in and introduce yourself. You’ll be family in no time!