A meal at Elevation Burger in South Portland in 2012. John Patriquin/Portland Press Herald

Elevation Burger recently closed its three Maine locations — in Portland, South Portland and Augusta.

A spokesperson for the Virginia-based chain restaurant couldn’t be reached immediately to give the reasons behind the closures, or to say exactly when they closed. The three locations were listed as shuttered Thursday on their online Yelp pages.

The South Portland Elevation Burger launched on Western Avenue in 2012, followed by a store in Portland’s Old Port. In 2015, Elevation opened its third Maine location, this one in Augusta.

The country’s first certified organic hamburger chain, Elevation Burger launched in 2002 and had 44 locations across the U.S. and internationally by 2019. They aimed to distinguish themselves by using ingredients like grass-fed beef, fries cooked in olive oil and cage-free chicken.

But after reported financial struggles, Elevation was purchased by franchising company FAT brands in 2019 for $10 million. FAT had bought the faltering Ponderosa and Bonanza steakhouse brands for $10.5 million two years earlier.