West Columbia’s Zesto restaurant is celebrating 70 years in business this year.

“It’s been really fun to see so many people over the years,” said Pete Manos, who owns Zesto with his father, Gus. “It’s really cool to be celebrating 70 years.”

He said the restaurant started with as few as 5 employees. They now have 87. Pete also said he has grown up in the business and has seen generations who are part of the Zesto family.

“We have people who have been coming in for 25 to 30 years,” Pete said. “We have employees whose grandparents worked at Zesto. Sometimes the parents work here and now the kids work here.”

Pete said the food, from fried chicken to cheeseburgers, at the Triangle City restaurant, with the iconic giant ice cream cone outside, is a habit that is hard to break.

“We have people who move away, out of state, or to the beach, but they come back,” said Pete. “They just like it.”

He said Zesto has had to adapt to different eras, but one thing has not changed.

“The food is the same,” Pete said. “We are consistent. We give our customers quality food and quality service, day in and day out. Zesto is like no other.”