About Us

Rooted in Vale. Made to Feel Like Home.

I’ve called good ole Vale, North Carolina, home for 29 of my 31 years on this earth. The other two? Well, I spent those trying my hand at being a city slicker down in Charlotte—and, as you can see, I found my way right back home.

Over the years, I’ve traveled across this country, visiting 32 of the 50 states, and I’ve even had the privilege of seeing other parts of the world. I’ve experienced big cities, small towns and places most folks only see in pictures. But no matter how far I’ve traveled, nothing has ever compared to Vale.

There’s just something about this place—the familiar roads, the friendly faces and the feeling that you belong here. It’s the kind of place where people still wave when they pass, neighbors look out for one another and home means more than just an address.

That feeling is at the heart of Rye’s Mercantile Co. We’re creating more than a place to shop. We’re creating a place that feels like coming home—a place rooted in community, filled with Southern hospitality and made for the people who make Vale so special.

Whether you’ve lived here your whole life or you’re just passing through, we hope you walk through our doors as a guest and leave feeling like family.

Welcome to Rye’s Mercantile Co. Welcome home friend,

Ryan "Rye" Kelley