The KFC/Taco Bell in Ingleside’s Lakewood Plaza shopping center closed for good on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the end of operating hours.
In the days since, its signage has been taken off the facade and marquee, the windows have been papered over and cooking equipment has been carted away.
Roger Seto, owner of nearby Seto Chiropractic, said he was surprised by how quickly the business closed.
A merchant who did not wish to be identified said an employee from the corporate office said that Taco Bells and KFCs do not have market success in affluent areas where people are more health-conscious.
The closure is the latest in a string, according to Hoodline, which found that five have shuttered in the city since 2015.
The KFC/Taco Bell was an anchor tenant, along with 7 Eleven, in the Lakewood Plaza shopping center, which had only recently been fully occupied by businesses for the first time in years.
The storefront vacancy rate of the Ocean Avenue retail district, the commercial buildings between Manor Drive and Interstate 280, has been ticking up in recent months and now hovers at 20%, according to data kept by the Ocean Avenue Association. The westside of the district has a significant number of longstanding commercial vacancies, primarily on the 1900 block.
A sign on the former KFC/Taco Bell at 2040 Ocean Ave. directs would-be customers to its locations on Taraval and Mission streets and offers thanks for “loyal patronage.”
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