Foodland School Street closing Sept. 24

Locally owned Foodland Super Market Ltd. announced today it will shutter on Sept. 24 its School Street location, which has been serving the community for nearly three-quarters of a century.

The closure is a result of the expiration of the store’s lease in 2024, the company said in a news release today.

Foodland School Street opened in 1948, and currently has 48 employees.

Foodland, said it plans to offer all employees job options at other Foodland locations on Oahu.

Jenai Wall, company chairwoman and CEO, said: “Closing a store we have operated for 74 years is not something we take lightly — especially because of the impact it will have on our loyal customers and employees.

“While we are saddened to exit this location, the ongoing parking challenges and smaller store size make it difficult for us to serve our customers well,” she said.

“We want to thank our customers, many of whom have shopped with us over the years. They have become our family and we will miss serving them at Foodland School Street. We hope to be able to return to the community sometime in the future.”

The closest Foodland stores to Foodland School Street are the Dillingham, Ala Moana and Market City locations.

The company is “Hawaii’s oldest and largest grocery retailer and the only locally owned supermarket with stores statewide,” with 31 stores and 3,100 employees on four islands, the news release said.

It was founded in 1948 by the late Maurice J. “Sully” Sullivan, and was the first Hawaii supermarket.