PORT ORCHARD — QFC’s presence in Port Orchard will disappear late next month with the closure of the Kroger-owned grocery store at South Park Village.

The closure was precipitated by the expiration of the grocery’s lease at the shopping center, according to Zach Stratton, A QFC spokesman.

“We let the store associates know yesterday (Thursday) afternoon that we will be closing the store in late August,” Stratton said.

“Closing a store is never an easy decision. After evaluating all of our options we have made the difficult decision to close.”

All of the store’s 34 employees will be given the opportunity to move over to the Kroger-owned Fred Meyer on Sedgwick Road in Port Orchard or to other QFCs in the area, Stratton said. Fred Meyer also has stores in Gig Harbor and East Bremerton.

QFC has fashioned a name in the market for its gourmet line of products in addition to other brands familiar to Kroger-affiliated store customers. Stratton said Kroger has 119 Fred Meyer and QFC stores in Washington state.

The grocery’s closure will create another large unoccupied commercial space in Port Orchard. But that hole in the business marketplace is expected to be filled at the end of this year by a Bi-Mart merchandise store in the old K-Mart location on Olney Avenue. The Oregon-based company that owns Bi-Mart is employee-owned, according to its website overview.