Foodland Super Market Ltd. is closing its aging Beretania Street location on June 23.

The locally owned supermarket chain opened the location, its fourth, in 1950. It initially operated under the name Food City.

The store’s 73 employees will be offered positions at the company’s Oahu locations.

“Closing a store we have operated for (nearly) 70 years is not something we take lightly — especially because of the impact it will have on our loyal customers and dedicated employees,” Jenai Wall, Foodland chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “Yet while we are saddened to exit this location, the increasing repair and maintenance costs associated with operating a store in a 70-year-old facility are no longer sustainable, and unfortunately, renovating this store to the standards our customers deserve is cost prohibitive.”

The company, which is opening three new Foodland Farms over the next year at Pearl City Gateway, Ka Makana Ali‘i in Kapolei and Kuono Marketplace in Kahala, said the decision to close its store at 1460 S. Beretania St. is not related to the new store openings. It said it hopes to build a new grocery store in Makiki.

Makiki residents Darine and Justin Hatcher, who were shopping at Foodland Tuesday evening, said losing their favorite neighborhood grocery store is a big inconvenience.

“We kind of feel a little bit sad cause this is the closest and one of the nicest Foodlands, like the employees too,” said Darine, adding that the next closest Foodland is in the Ala Moana Center.

“The only real inconvenience is when we have to go to Ala Moana — the mall (and) the parking. I don’t know about the selection there if they’ve got what we come here for,” Justin added. “Foodland’s nice quality. We’re not paying too much for what we need, but Safeway and Whole Foods, the stuff is going up in price. It seems like the best bet is to use Sam’s Club or Costco at this point since (grocery chains are) removing the lower-end stuff.”

Makiki resident Lisa C. said that she is “super sad” because she lives just about three blocks away and shops at the Beretania store at least three times a week.

“I’ve always found good deals here. The people are very friendly that work here. To me this is like the best place to get deals and local produce,” she said. “They also carry products that local people want. I think they should reconsider because everybody loves this Foodland.”

Founded in 1948 by the late Maurice “Sully” Sullivan, Foodland was the first supermarket in Hawaii. It now operates 33 stores and has more than 2,600 employees at Foodland, Sack N Save and Foodland Farms on four islands.