Artist holds full funeral for long-closed Taco Bell with bagpipes, doves and a 21-bell salute

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A Seattle artist held a unique farewell ceremony for an old Taco Bell, complete with a bagpipe player, people carrying the ‘coffin’ like pallbearers, formal attire, and a 21-gun salute using bells.

A unique ‘funeral’ was held in West Seattle to commemorate a former Taco Bell restaurant on California Avenue. Though the restaurant closed over 30 years ago, community members came together to hold a ceremonial goodbye to the beloved fast-food location.

So, this local artist named Sunday Nobody – you might know them from their crazy cool internet art and YouTube videos – threw this totally wild event. Apparently, according to KIRO 7 news, it was like a full-on funeral… for Taco Bell! They had everything: flowers, people leaving little gifts, even a contest to see who could cry the most! And get this – they made a special headstone just for the occasion. It was seriously bizarre, but kinda awesome.

Pictures from the memorial service showed people wearing black, as if attending a funeral for a cherished member of the community. Some videos captured a dove being released as part of the tribute.

Mourning Taco Bell customers attend funeral for restaurant that closed 30 years ago

Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Rinck also recognized the unique tribute, sharing her condolences on Instagram.

I’m so sorry to hear about what happened to the Taco Bell in West Seattle. My heart goes out to everyone affected, and I share in your sadness. Let this be a reminder to cherish every moment and Live Más.

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A post shared by Kaiden Cook (@kcook2720)

The building that used to house a Taco Bell at 5258 California Avenue has been home to several businesses since, most recently including a few different Thai restaurants.

KIRO 7 reports that West Seattle hasn’t had a Taco Bell for over 30 years, even though several other locations remain open throughout Seattle.

Scenes from the Taco Bell Funeral
byu/ChaoticRift inSeattle

Sunday Nobody is known for creating attention-grabbing public art projects. Recently, he placed a bronze statue of the SpongeBob character, Squidward, into the ocean off the coast of Greece, intending to playfully puzzle archaeologists and historians of the future.

What began as a playful idea, the ‘funeral’ for the West Seattle Taco Bell unexpectedly turned into a genuine goodbye to a beloved restaurant, even though it had been closed for many years.

Though the Taco Bell didn’t last very long – it never even got to offer the Luxe menu or those fun Baja Blast eye patches – it will still be fondly remembered.

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2026-05-05 18:21