After nearly 15 years in business, Kelly Rae’s Country Cafe in Whitesville is closing its doors on July 28. The Greer family-owned-and-operated establishment has been a mainstay and source of fellowship in the community since 2010.
Several locals in the agricultural-driven community frequent the restaurant every morning at roughly 4 a.m. when long-time breakfast chef Ace Greer first opens the doors and turns on the lights. From the steady $1 coffee to fried fish and ribeyes on Friday night, the place has been a constant for many devoted visitors.
The business was initially the brainchild of Scott Greer, who named it after his wife, Kelly. After taking another position, she took it upon herself to ensure the restaurant continued to thrive, leaning on her family and some dedicated employees.
“We’re very heartbroken to close – it just became too much to juggle with our other businesses, and we were missing out on family time,” Kelly Greer said. “The Whitesville community has embraced us since day one. They even stuck with us through COVID and never gave up on us.”
The Greers also own Premier Sanitation and feared sacrificing quality with it and the restaurant because their plates were too full. They cited a dwindling workforce and time as the ultimate reasons for the closure.
“The restaurant has been doing great business — it’s just hard to maintain employees,” she said. “We had some amazing staff members over the years, and we’re grateful for that. That was one of the reasons we didn’t want to close.”
Upon entering the restaurant, visitors immediately encounter a round table. Above that table hangs a sign that reads, “The Table of Knowledge.” How much knowledge is tossed around is debatable, but it’s certainly full of stories, tales, and laughter from some of the community’s finest.
“When we started, there was no sit-down restaurant in Whitesville where folks could fellowship with others,” Greer said. “We had several customers we would see every day and a lot that would come in twice a day. It will be so tough to let that go because we truly enjoyed offering people a place to visit.”
Greer confirmed that a new restaurant with new ownership would take over the space sometime in August. She said they would take a few weeks to remodel and “make the place their own” before opening.
“We’re hopeful the community will continue to support them,” she said. “I hope they’re very successful.”
