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News Story - The Republican Hut
1! Hut 2! By: Lori Stabile White Hut wants to put some sizzle in downtown Springfield. Owner E.J. Barkett plans to open a second White Hut Dec. 2 in the Marketplace building at 1365 Main St. And he hopes he can duplicate the success the burger joint has enjoyed on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield for 63 years. "We've been looking to expand for a few years now," Barkett, 35, said yesterday, taking a break from the breakfast rush. "It's a way to get customers from downtown Springfield that can't or won't go over the bridge." Even with no menu and scant seating, Whit Hut has a loyal following and a solid reputation that has attracted such celebrities as Paul Newman and former Red Sox ace Luis Tiant. In a time when many fast-food restaurants are altering menus to appeal to health-conscious consumers, White Hut has stuck with the same recipie since 1939 - hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs. And a few breakfast items. "It's good being in a business that's been around and that has a tradition," Barkett said. "And it's good being part of something my family has worked so many years at to keep going." White Hut was started by Barkett's grandfather, the late Edward J. Barkett. The first White Hut was converted from a Go-Gas station into an open-air lunch counter with four stools. It stood across Bresnahan Street on "the point" at Memorial Avenue. In the final days of World War II, the restaurant was moved to its present location. Two years ago, E.J. Barkett took the business over from his father, Edward H. Barkett. E.J. Barkett said his father and grandfather had always considered opening another location. They just never found the right one. The spot at Marketplace is in the former All States Transport space. Barkett took about 680 square feet - roughly the same size as the West Springfield location. the new restaurant will have the same look. And if Barkett can get away with it, no menu. "My grandfather never posted one and we just carried on the tradition," Barkett said. "Regular customers like to see someone come in with a bewildered look on their face." The new restaurant will be open weekdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Barkett will split his time between the two restaurants. White hut is an inexpensive eatery. A "normal meal" costs between $4 and $6, Barkett said. In West Springfield, Barkett said he serves about 500 people a day. They go through about 900 hamburgers and 700 hot dogs in a day. "We have all different types here. All different income levels and professions. From the richest in the city to the poorest," Barkett said. Last year was the best sales and profit year ever for White Hut, Barkett said. He said he is excited about the site in downtown Springfield. I'm kind of planning on this being a stepping stone to more units," Barkett said. |
