Some food connoisseurs in Henry County and surrounding areas feel there is a lack of authentic Georgia barbecue. One local restaurant in Locust Grove is doing everything possible to fill that void.
Shorty’s BBQ and More had its grand opening and ribbon cutting with the help of the Henry County Chamber of Commerce in the first week of March 2020. If that date rings a bell, it is because the entire restaurant industry shut down later that month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had a great ribbon cutting,” said Sharon Dewberry, who operates the establishment with her husband John. “But the next week changed the trajectory.”
Interestingly, the new eatery was designed precisely to allow optimal business during the shutdown, although they had no idea when they were preparing to open.
“We were already set up for to-go orders only,” said Sharon. “It was actually good for us as a beta-testing of our product. Without knowing, we had already designed the restaurant to fit the pandemic.”
That basic setup has not changed. Shorty’s provides walk-up counter service for customers who can either take their orders with them or sit down on one of the outdoor tables and have their food brought to them.
The restaurant is in a stand-alone building with its own parking, on the west side of Highway 42 in the downtown district of Locust Grove just north of Indian Creek Road.
“We have benches with umbrellas for people to sit and eat,” said Sharon. “There is a park right behind us where the kids can play, and you can take your food over there if you want to.”
The restaurant operation is seasonal, open from the beginning of March until the end of October. November and December are reserved solely for catering, and everything shuts down the other two winter months so they can prepare for the next season.
Catering is available 10 months out of the year, either for barbecue or other food choices, depending on the client.
According to Sharon, Shorty’s has provided food for a number of office catering jobs, but they would really like to make an impact in the local warehouses by providing meals for some of the hundreds of employees who work there every day.
The Dewberrys had never run their own restaurant before opening Shorty’s. They saw the need for their kind of barbecue during a series of holiday fundraisers they hosted on behalf of their church to help needy children.
“The consensus was that there is not a whole lot of authentic Georgia BBQ in the area,” said Sharon. “You’ve got commercial BBQ but not mom-and-pop authentic BBQ.”
John Dewberry experimented at home for a few years to come up with the process he uses now. He spent about four years, off and on, getting the building ready to house the restaurant. Both Dewberrys sought advice and counsel regarding the business side of operating a restaurant, which Sharon acknowledged is much different than just cooking at home.
The eatery is named after John’s father, a truck driver who got his nickname because he stands four feet, 11 inches tall (John is six feet one inch).
Sharon said customers come regularly from 10-15 miles away, and some also make the trip from Forsyth and Macon, Coweta, and Spalding counties. How did they find it?
“Google has been a good friend of ours,” she laughed.
Shorty’s BBQ and More is located at 3904 Hwy 42 in downtown Locust Grove. For more information, phone 770-286-7785 or visit shortysbbqandmore.com.
By Monroe Roark
