Tuesday, October 25, 2022

[EXCLUSIVE] Zesto Back in Business in Buckhead...Sorta

If you've driven by the old Zesto at 2469 Piedmont Road, you may have noticed something odd: it's open!  Following the restaurant's closure on September 18, new ownership and management have reopened the business as "Buckhead Burgers."  Interestingly, the new restaurant features literally the same menu as Zesto, with the Zesto logo and other proprietary items covered up or otherwise renamed on the new menu.  

Also worth noting is the return of many menu items from Burrito Brothers, a former sister concept of Zesto, that included offerings such as burritos, tacos, nachos and quesadillas among other items.  

Classic Zesto burgers such as the "Chubby Decker" and "Fat Boy" are on the Buckhead Burgers menu but labeled the "Double Decker" and "Pate Burger," respectively.  

When ToNeTo Atlanta visited the restaurant earlier this week there were a few people in the dining room, a far cry from the crowds that poured into the restaurant ahead of their closure after more than 50 years.  

Zesto owners Jimbo and Leigh Ann Livaditis closed their popular Ponce de Leon location in 2014 after which it reopened as a Cook Out.  A tree fell on the Zesto in Little Five Points in May of 2021 and after closing the restaurant temporarily, the restaurant was permanently closed this past December.  This past July it was revealed that Pizza Verdura Sincera, a new vegan pizzeria, will open in the old Zesto.  

The Livaditises continue to operate two Zesto locations in metro Atlanta: on Moreland Avenue in East Atlanta and on United Avenue in Forest Park.  A franchisee operates a single location in Tyrone.

Have you been to Buckhead Burgers? Are you pleased with the current restaurant options in Buckhead? What is your favorite burger in Buckhead? 

Please share your thoughts below.  

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought they had to close Zesto because the property was sold. Who owns the restaurant (or is leasing it) now? Is this just a way for the new property owner to generate rent income while they’re waiting to build something in XX years from now? How odd to go through all this drama then just open back up with tape over the old name.

Disneypal said...

I too, thought a developer had bought the property...will have to check out the new place.

Anonymous said...

If the milkshakes are the same then I'll be very HAPPY!!!

Anonymous said...

First commenter - Bingo, you're exactly right.
The property was sold, along with the adjacent international grocery and landromat properties that were also owned by the Zestos owner.
It is likely to be something vertical like an office tower or condominium building.

Anonymous said...

I live around the corner walking distance from there and my concern is how long of a wait there will be. Zesto's was hardly considered "fast food" the last time I visited.

Anonymous said...

Please Zesto…. Do not staff the place with yoo-noe-wats!!…it will fail and you will upset custoners!

Unknown said...

This week, I visited the new burger place that replaced the Zestos on Piedmont road in Buckhead.

The soda machine was not up and running yet, and the new ice cream machine was just laying on the floor and not running yet.

People are going to be disappointed when they try the Double Decker and Steak burger combos. Those burgers are much smaller than the original Chubby Decker and the original Steak burger. The cost of each one was $10.40 and $10, but the new burgers are really small.

It's not worth the money to eat those small burgers. Both restrooms have been remodeled along with the floor, and booths have been redone, but the quality and size of the burgers were very disappointing.

I came away feeling empty handed, and I realized that Zestos on Piedmont is gone forever.

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