King Cullen closing another store on Staten Island

King Kullen, the Bethpage-based supermarket chain, will close its third Staten Island location in two years at the end of the year.

The family-run company this week notified the state Department of Labor that it will close the store at 244 Arden Ave. , which employs 72 people, on Dec. 31.

The company said its reason was "economic," according to the notice it filed with the state. The company also cited issues negotiating a new lease.

"Unfortunately, King Kullen could not come to an agreement with the landlord over terms of a new lease," said Thomas Cullen, vice president of King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc. "As a result, the store will be closing at the end of December 2010."

King Kullen expanded its chain on Staten Island when it purchased five supermarkets from The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. in 2007. The sale allowed A&P to buy Pathmark Stores Inc. and fulfilled part of a consent order from the Federal Trade Commission, which was concerned about A&P having a monopoly on the island.

The latest closing will leave three remaining King Kullen stores on Staten Island.