UPDATE: Michiana McDonald's permanently closes, owner releases statement

STEVENSVILLE, Mich. -- UPDATE: The owner/operator of the Stevensville McDonald's, Estephan Awad, released a statement Tuesday regarding the recent closure of the restaurant.

Awad released the following statement:

"We have proudly served the community of Stevensville, MI, for the last 11 years at our 4661 Red Arrow Hwy McDonald’s. Closing a restaurant is never easy under any circumstances, and unfortunately ongoing construction adjacent to this location posed challenges that led to the decision to close our doors. We’re proud that our restaurant crew members have already transitioned to roles at other area McDonald’s. Our focus going forward will continue to be feeding guests, creating job opportunities in the community, and working with neighborhood organizations to invest in Southwest Michigan through our nearby Bridgman and St. Joseph locations."

ORIGINAL STORY: The McDonald's restaurant that sits just off Exit 23 of I-94 in southwest Michigan has shuttered its doors and is removing the iconic Golden Arches as of Monday. 

When reporters were at the scene of 4661 Red Arrow Highway in Stevensville Monday morning, they say crews were taking down the extremely tall McDonald's sign that was built to entice drivers on the heavily trafficked I-94.

Crews are also pulling all of the furniture out of the building as well as removing parking lot lights Monday morning. 

We reached out to a worker at the now closed store who confirmed the restaurant is permanently closed because, "the owners just decided to shut it down."