It will be the end of an era on Bank St. as a cornerstone Centretown supermarket changes hands.

Employees of Hartman's Your Independent Grocer on the corner of Bank and Somerset -- for years the only full-service supermarket servicing the neighbourhood -- were told to expect some changes as the shop is taken over by new management.

A letter sent home with staff says the store will be closed on Monday through Wednesday next week for "renovations and retraining" with Larry Hartman, the prominent owner of the business for 50 years, announcing his retirement.

It was not immediately clear how the changes will affect the look or the services of the new store.

Neither Hartman, parent company Loblaw, nor the Bank St. Business Improvement Area returned requests for comment.

A store manager at the location gave inquiring reporters a frosty reception, saying Hartman "has retired and he doesn't need any, or want any media coverage. He wants to go quietly into the sunset."

The manager declined to give his name, and directed all questions to Loblaw corporate headquarters, which did not respond to requests for comment.

"The store is changing hands on Monday, it will still be the same program, it will still be an Independent Grocer, but I'm not sure who might be coming in. That hasn't been decided as far as I know," said the manager, adding he had "been given a direction not to give out any information."

Twitter: @OttSunHelmer