About tricities.shop

tricities.shop is the local-first marketplace for the Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia — Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City, and Blountville.

We built it because finding a trusted local business shouldn't mean digging through paid Google ads, dead Facebook pages, or directories that haven't been updated since 2017. The Tri-Cities runs on the people who live and work right here — mechanics, contractors, caregivers, caterers, transport drivers, lawn crews. We wanted a single place to find them, vetted and accountable.

What makes us different

• Every business is approved by hand before it goes live.
• Reviews are moderated, not crowd-flooded.
• No paid placements pretending to be search results — Featured listings are clearly labeled.
• We're a small operation based in Blountville, not a national platform that doesn't know the area.

Who's behind it

tricities.shop was founded by Dan Chess, owner-operator of Rides With Dan in Blountville. The platform launched in 2026 as a side project to fix a problem he kept running into himself: finding local people who do good work.