LOS ANGELES – Customers of Japanese convenience store Famima!!, a once rapidly expanding convenience store concept in the Los Angeles market, are mourning the loss of the local favorite. 

Japan Times reported in August that FamilyMart said would liquidate its U.S. convenience store subsidiary Famima Corp. to devote resources to Asia, where the Japanese company sees high growth potential. Based in California, Famima!! was founded in October 2004 and had eight stores as of the end of July.

“It seemed, for a time, that Famima!! would take over the world—or at least Los Angeles. Now, less than a decade after the Japanese-based brand first landed in the City of Angels, they’re pulling out completely,” wrote La.Eater.com.

“It’s a surprising end for the slightly upmarket convenience store from Japan. As recently as 2012 various websites were touting the rapid expansion and growth of the near-ubiquitous brand, but just as fast as it arrived it now looks like all traces will be disappearing. Need your fix of any of their grab-and-go steam buns, rice balls, or deli sandwiches? You’ve only got a couple of weeks,” wrote Laist.com.

The Toddrickallen blog was one of the first to report on the closing, along with photos of a shuttered Santa Monica store.

NACS featured a new Los Angeles Famima!! store in the 2009 Ideas 2 Go program. The company initially aimed to attract American consumers with Japanese products, but evolved to offer many other traditional American products.