“Zesto Afternoon”

A popular 1950’s style walk-up restaurant, the Zesto Drive-In on Riverside Drive

is one of Evansville’s well-known community landmarks.

As part of the original national franchise chain of Zesto restaurants, the Zesto on Riverside

Drive opened in 1952, the third of three locations in Evansville. As was typical of such

restaurants of that era, there was no dining room available. Customers would walk up to an

outside window and place their order for food or treats, and either eat on picnic tables or

benches situated around the restaurant or take their food to go. When the national franchise

folded, the Zestos in Evansville continued to operate as locally owned and operated

restaurants. The Zesto on Riverside remains a vital part of the local community.

“Zesto Afternoon” captures the feel of a typical day in the life of this Evansville landmark.

Dennis Rowe has been an artist since his childhood in the 1950’s. He decided to

become a commercial artist, and began his professional art career in 1967 as a staff

artist at the Evansville Newspapers. Dennis continued in commercial art for another

ten years. He studied art at Evansville College with such professors as Fred Eilers and

Les Milely, and has a degree in commercial art and illustration from the Famous

Artists School in Westport, Connecticut. Dennis paints in watercolors and acrylic,

and has won several show awards. He owns an advertising agency, Vision

Communications, in Evansville, Indiana, and lives in Newburgh, Indiana.

By Dennis Rowe