An old country store in rural Pender County has reopened its doors.This time, the store is going in a slightly different direction, but it’s remaining in the same family. What’s also sticking around is an emphasis on community.Kelly’s Store, aptly located at Kelly’s Crossroads near Atkinson, has been around for 50 years. In that time, it has gone through a number of iterations.
Today, it’s run by Natalie Hernandez, a 26-year-old who took the store over from her mother, Renee Bloodworth, who ran it for six years prior.
Since reopening on July 27, 2026, Hernandez has brought her own vision to the store.
An old country store
According to Hernandez, Kelly’s Store has been around for decades.
It was previously operated by the Kelly family, where it gained its namesake. For Hernandez, who grew up in Atkinson, the store’s been around her whole life.
Teresa Coleman, Hernandez’s lone employee, said she remembers coming by to get ice cream around 60 years ago.
In the past, it was more of a hardware and general store, though Bloodworth said the arrival of businesses like Dollar General has made it tougher to compete in that lane. Under Hernandez, the food is now the focus.
And Kelly’s Store has earned a loyal customer base, which Bloodworth called “the backbone” of a business like that. She said its rare to walk in and not know the people eating inside.
Hernandez said she wants the store to be a space for the community to gather, and plans on bringing in more events in the future. She’s also looking to continue the fishing tournament that has historically been hosted out of the store.
Southern staples and comfort classics
At the center of Hernandez’s vision for Kelly’s Store is good food.
The grill has been a part of the store in the past, and Hernandez is continuing to offer some of the same items as before, such as burgers and hot dogs.
But she’s also putting a new emphasis on Southern comfort food, like homemade biscuits, meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, and Brunswick stew. Not to mention some of the customer favorites: bread pudding and banana pudding. Hernandez makes most everything on her menu fresh every day.
Hernandez said she grew up working in restaurants and in the service industry. Cooking, however, is somewhat of a newer thing for her. She’s taken to it quickly, particularly when it comes to Southern cuisine.
When asked what she likes most about cooking, Hernandez said, “Making something that I'm proud of, that's good, that has a history behind it, that I got from my mom, or my grandmother, or an older person in the community.”
She added that having those Southern staples can help bring the older generations through the door.
Moving forward, Hernandez said her goal is simple.
“Just to keep doing what I'm doing and making food, feeding the community. That means a lot to me, being from here.”
Want to visit?
Kelly's Store is located at 5230 Point Caswell Road in Atkinson. The hours are from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6-11 a.m. on Sunday.
Charlie Kingree is the Pender County and trending topics reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at ckingree@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: This old country store in Pender County is getting a fresh start
