FOREST ACRES, S.C. — A long-standing Forest Acres institution is closing its doors for good after more than seven decades of serving comfort food to generations of loyal customers.
Zesto's, known for its iconic milkshakes and Zesto dogs, will close its location on Forest Drive sometime between Christmas and New Year's.
For many residents of the Midlands, the news is bittersweet, as the beloved restaurant has been a staple in the community since 1949.
Customers have expressed their sadness about the closure, reflecting on the many memories created at the restaurant.
Mary Phelin, a regular customer, said, "I am heartbroken I really am. I come here all the time. I’ve lived here since 1964, and this used to be like a special place to come, a real treat. There weren’t many restaurants back then."
RELATED: Zesto on Forest Drive set to close
While the owner, who plans to retire, was unavailable for comment, News 19 confirmed that the restaurant is expected to close soon.
Kelly Jones, another loyal customer, shared her sentiments: "It’s been here for so many years. I used to work over here in the office buildings, and I came here a lot for lunch. Today we actually got on the highway and turned around to come back over here. So it’s going to be greatly missed, food is very good."
Forest Acres City Councilman Stephen Oliver also expressed his disappointment over the closing. "It hurts. We always hate to lose businesses out of our city, especially one like Zesto’s where it is such a draw. Obviously, it's going to hurt our hospitality tax, but I don’t think we will have a problem filling the spot," Oliver said. "At this point, we will kind of get some community input, what people want to see in Forest Acres, and then we’ll reach out to the franchises or whatever and try to put them in touch with the property owner and kind of facilitate a new business coming in."
For many, Zesto’s is irreplaceable. "They’re getting more and more dining options, but I don’t think anything can replace this Zesto’s at all," said Phelin.
Aunyka Moonan, a former resident of Forest Acres, reminisced about her time at Zesto's. "I used to live around the corner when I was in graduate school and then lived in Forest Acres for about twenty years, so we used to always come to Zesto’s. We moved away recently, but I heard it was closed, so we had to come say goodbye."
While Zesto’s on Forest Drive may be closing, residents can still enjoy its West Columbia location, which will remain open under different management.