Updated 9 a.m. on Feb. 8 to clarify the Longmeadow location is still open under the name The Kitchen

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The iconic hamburger stand White Hut has closed — apparently for good, according to a sign posted at the restaurant Friday and relayed across social media by distraught aficionados.

The sign attributed the shutdown to factors beyond management’s control and offered little other detail.

“It is with great reservation to let you, all of our long time loyal customers / fans know that we are permanently closed,” the sign said.

Edward J. “E.J.” Barkett, third-generation owner of the White Hut on Memorial Avenue, couldn’t be reached by phone Friday. His grandfather founded White Hut in 1939.

There are no recent changes in ownership or leases for the premises at 280 Memorial Avenue on file with the Hampden Registry of Deeds. There are no new filings with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s corporations registry.

With its red-and-white art deco interior, White Hut was a throwback offering burgers and hot dogs with fried or raw onions, french fries, and soda from a bottle or a fountain.

Each September the White Hut’s main location closed, to shift its operations to the Big E. For several years the restaurant hosted a competitive eating contest at the fair.

White Hut made it to Thrillist.com’s list of the “33 best burgers in the country” and was designated Massachusetts entry in Serious Eats’ “United States of Burgers” feature.

The restaurant also offered a small breakfast menu with custom breakfast sandwiches, one-egg omelets and home fries.

White Hut tried branching out in the last decade or so with locations in Longmeadow and Amherst, but both closed.

Bobby Barkett, brother of Edward, said he had the Longmeadow location in partnership with his brother. Edward relocated to Saint Petersburg, Florida, in November 2017, while Bobby stayed in Longmeadow and re-branded the White Hut Kitchen to simply The Kitchen.

And there is good news for anyone needing a fried-onion fix:

“In Longmeadow, we still serve up the famous cheeseburgers with fried onions and the hot dogs as well as deli sandwiches, salads, all day breakfast and a full liquor license,” Bobby Barkett wrote in an email.

This is a developing story that will be updated after additional reporting.