Shuttered KFC/Taco Bell in San Francisco could become music studio for independent artists

A former KFC - Taco Bell restaurant in San Francisco's Mission District is getting a new life, this time as a music studio aimed at supporting independent artists.

Musician Jeremy Rosenblum recently purchased the long-vacant property at the corner of Duboce Avenue and Guerrero Street with plans to transform it into an accessible recording and creative space for local musicians.

"Everybody that I say, this is the space that we are converting, they are like, 'Oh my God, it's the KFC Taco Bell,'" Rosenblum said. "So it's really cool to take something that is an iconic piece of this neighborhood that everyone really knows, and give it new life. Because KFC moved out and it was just vacant for a really long time."

The restaurant, which closed in 2023 after years on the busy corner, has remained empty since.

Rosenblum, who performs in a rock band with his wife, said he hopes the new studio will become a hub for the city's local music scene.

"Right now, my band always does so much better on tour than we do locally," Rosenblum said. "Which is one of the things that made me start to think about what we could do for the local music scene that would kind of help it progress."

Before purchasing the Mission District property, Rosenblum operated a studio in the Bayview District for about a decade. He said the new space is intended to be affordable and accessible for artists who may not otherwise have access to professional recording facilities.

"To create more music and art and more than anything, help people who wouldn't otherwise be able to go into like a first-class studio, get to one, get their music recorded, get their music distributed and heard," Rosenblum said. "And help people really cultivate their art."

Rosenblum said he hopes the same corner long associated with fast food can now serve a different purpose — helping feed San Francisco's creative community.