Zesto Advances Past Biz Tourney Round 1

After a tight race, pulled ahead of in the pizza bracket of the thanks to a massive late surge of Facebook support.

Zesto held the early lead, although 180 fans soon after staked their favorite North Hampton pizzeria out to a comfortable advantage. In the end, though, it wasn't enough to best Zesto, which advances to the second round after defeating 180 Restaurant and Bar 665-323.

"I have great customers," said Zesto Pizza owner John Gioldasis, who said it "feels great" to know he has that kind of support from local residents. "They’re great to us, and hopefully they think I’m great to them. I try to take care of them as much as possible, and I guess they take care of us, too."

Gioldasis said he thought his business' "great staff" and customer service helped push Zesto to the top of the pizza poll, a copy of which is included below. Of course, so does the menu itself, and Gioldasis said the poll is a reflection of the response he gets for Zesto's "great food."

The Small Business Tournament is far from over, as starting Monday a selection of cafes, coffee shops and sandwichmakers will go head-to-head in the next opening round bracket.

Voting will begin Monday at 5 a.m. for that bracket, and conclude at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 9. More information about the other opening rounds as well as updated tournament results can be found daily on the tournament home page.

While you're taking a closer look at some of Hampton and North Hampton's fine establishments, also be sure to post some reviews for the shops on their Patch Places listings.

If you're a business owner, also take the time to claim your own listing, too, as it .

Congratulations to Zesto Pizza, and good luck to all the businesses in the upcoming rounds.