Since news of the Newton County restaurant’s closing broke, Henderson’s has been busy, according to Cassandra Henderson. But not just with customers clamoring for their last chance at the fried catfish, hush puppies and slaw but also with former employees coming back to lend a hand.

“Business has picked up more than we can handle … but we’re working through it,” Henderson said.

Some old employees, like former Covington City Council member Keith Dalton, and future Newton County Commissioner Stan Edwards returned to help out.

The restaurant will close when the Georgia Department of Transportation begins work on a $1.9 million construction project designed to improve the safety of a five-way intersection. Plans call for the realignment of Henderson Mill Road approximately .19 miles south of the existing intersection on State Route 36 and Steele/Flat Shoals Road, installing a traffic light and left turn lanes at the four-way intersection.

Henderson said there is still no word when construction will begin, though GDOT estimates it will be mid-fall before roadwork begins. [See “Safer intersection impacts Henderson’s restaurant” at http://www.covnews.com/section/13/article/201681/.]