Polly Perry, 87, has been shopping at "Disco Kroger" for as long as she can remember. News that the Buckhead grocery store, a fixture at the corner of Peachtree and Piedmont roads since the mid-1970s, is shutting its doors May 30 is not sitting well with Perry.

"What is my reaction? I'll tell you my reaction. I think it's just awful," the longtime patron —- known to store employees simply as "Ms. Perry" —- barked Friday as she picked up a 99-cent birthday card for her sister. "I'm sorry it's going to close. I'm going to miss it."

No doubt, longtime Atlantans and recent transplants alike feel Perry's pain.

Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. plans to renovate the store and reopen it in the fall under the new "Fresh Fare" upscale concept, the company confirmed last week. It will be Kroger's first such store in Georgia, Kroger spokesman Glynn Jenkins said.

Fresh Fare stores typically feature a wide selection of meats, cheeses, wine and prepared foods in a more gourmet-style setting.

No florescent lights. No 10-for-$10 sales.

"Don't we already have enough of that kind of stuff around here?" asked Roger Potts, a 45-year-old hairstylist who stops by the store at least once a week.

Valeri Burton, 50, of Buckhead remembers Limelight, Rupert's and Atlanta Live, former neighbors in the shopping center that helped Disco Kroger earn its name.

"I can't believe it's closing," she said Friday. "It's a legend."

There is a sprawling Whole Foods market on West Paces Ferry Road, about a mile from Disco Kroger. A few miles east on Peachtree Road, there is another Kroger, and a few miles west, there are two Publix supermarkets, one in the Peach shopping center, the other at Peachtree Battle.

EatZi's, a market specializing in prepared gourmet food, did brisk business across the street from Disco Kroger until the company abruptly pulled out of the Atlanta market in 2006.

Analysts say Kroger is simply adapting to its neighborhood, offering higher-quality products Buckhead workers and residents demand.

But closing Disco Kroger leaves an obvious void in the heart of Buckhead, patrons say.

"I look forward to the new store opening, simply out of curiosity, but will have to find a new spot for regular shopping," said 30-year-old television producer and Buckhead resident Elissa Fowler.

Like Fowler, longtime Disco Kroger shopper Barbara Pawley said she'll check out the new place once it opens, likely in October or November.

"I'm sorry to see it close," Pawley said Friday. "But you pay for what you get these days. I'm sure what they'll offer will be worth it. I'll just go with the flow."