The Times Supermarket in Kailua is slated to close at the end of March after nearly seven decades in business, according to owner Pan Pacific Retail Management.

Pan Pacific said Times will be replaced with Hawaii’s first Tokyo Central, an Asian specialty market with a wide variety of imported Japanese grocery products, including snacks, beverages, ice cream, liquor, toys, housewares and beauty care products.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to fill a void that hasn’t been in the community for a little while now,” said Tad Fujiwara, Pan Pacific promotion department manager, referring to the closure of Don Quijote in 2011.

Pan Pacific Retail Market USA operates seven Tokyo Central locations in California, three Don Quijote stores and four Marukai stores, including one in Hawaii. Target occupies the former Don Quijote site in Kailua.

Tokyo Central will feature an extensive selection of seafood, fresh produce and Japanese-style cuts of meat. It will continue to offer local favorite grocery items like kalua pig, according to Fujiwara, along with grab-and-go snacks, beach supplies and sought-after gift items.

It’s expected to appeal to both locals and visitors alike, he said, with merchandise similar to Marukai, with an emphasis on food service, including bentos, sushi and dishes with a Japanese influence.

The pharmacy inside of Times will close under the new format.

Approximately 40 employees will be able to keep their jobs, said Fujiwara, and can stay on to work at Tokyo Central or at other stores under the same company.

Christine Lynders of Kailua said she will miss shopping at Times Supermarket when it’s gone.

“It’s super convenient to home and I love what they have,” she said. “I love their friendly service. Sometimes I just come here for one or two things, so I love coming here. I’m super sad to see it go.”

At the same time, she said she would be interested to see what Tokyo Central will be like.

The expected opening date of Tokyo Central at Kailua Shopping Center has not been determined yet, said Fujiwara.

The new Asian specialty store will occupy about 20,700 square feet of space currently occupied by Times Supermarket along Kailua Road, according to a leasing brochure by property owner Alexander &Baldwin.

The market will be an end anchor for Kailua Shopping Center, which is home to mostly smaller shops and eateries, including Aloha Salads, Lanikai Juice, Donut King and BookEnds.

Times Supermarket opened in Kailua in 1957 — which at the time was its third location.

Albert and Wallace Teruya, sons of Okinawan immigrants, opened the first Times Supermarket in 1949, which today includes 17 Times locations, five Big Save Markets, Fujioka’s Wine Times and Shima’s Supermarket in Waimanalo.

In 2017, Times Supermarkets was acquired by Pan Pacific International Holdings Corp., which has 728 retail locations in Asia, Hawaii and California.