KAIMUKI — Bianca Kusatsu drove from 'Aiea to Kwong On on Monday to buy two dozen bags of the store's popular peanut candy.

She grew up in Kaimuki, walking from Liholiho School to the little mom-and-pop store on Wai'alae Avenue.

Now that it's closing this month, Kusatsu stopped by this week to get her last fix of the homemade treats.

"It's so sad it's closing," said Kusatsu, a massage therapist waiting in line with her 1-year-old grandson, Casey Kusatsu-Cooper. "You can't find this kind of quality anymore. When you long for the old days, you can find it here. ... It's like an end of an era."

For 41 years, Kwong On has served up fresh-baked manapua, 40-cent pork hash and taro cakes, and bags of sweet peanut candy to generations of loyal customers, many of whom have been packing into the tiny store to get their last taste of its dim sum, sweets and plate lunches.

Owners William Chin and his wife, Chun Tsui, plan to close up shop by mid-August. None of their three children had planned to take over the business, one of the oldest in Kaimuki.

"Like so many Chinese families, we worked hard to give our children a better life," said Chin, 75, taking a break from making peanut candy on Monday. "But I'm tired. My legs sore, my hands sore. So tired."

The closure will affect Kwong On's seven full-time and two part-time workers.

Chin hopes to find a small space — maybe in Chinatown — to keep making the peanut candy he's known for. It takes about two hours to make a batch of about 30 pounds of candy.

In recent weeks, as customers found out about the closing — mostly through word-of-mouth — orders have been pouring in, even from the Mainland.

He's been making about nine batches — 270 pounds — of candy a day.

"It's been really crazy," said Chin's son, Bow Mun, a 47-year-old attorney who helped at the store on Saturday. "People are asking if they can freeze the candy to give away at Christmas."

At $1.75 a bag, these are a steal — and part of Chin's business philosophy: sell high-quality food at an affordable price.

"One thing my dad emphasized over the years is quality and low prices," Bow Mun Chin said. "There were times he could have raised the prices, but he always wanted to keep it low for his customers."

Michael Nakamura, 66, stopped by Monday to pick up a $1.65 bag of almond cookies.

"The price is right," said Nakamura, who's been coming to Kwong On at least twice a week for the past 15 years. "All these old places are closing and nobody wants to take over. That's so sad ... but that's how it goes."

Chin wants to take it easy after the store closes, maybe take his wife to China or relax at home. While he won't miss the long hours — he works at least 12 hours a day, including Sunday when the store is closed — he will miss his customers.

"I feel bad," Chin said. "Some customers are like family already."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.