“Tenderloin Buzz” is a recurring update on changes, tidbits and other news from the Tenderloin. Got news? Send us tips at tips@missionlocal.com.
Black History Month is ending — close it out with a deep dive into the Tenderloin’s roots.
On Saturday, Feb. 21, the recently reopened Tenderloin Museum is teaming up with Del Seymour, founder of Code Tenderloin and longtime neighborhood resident, to host a walking tour inspired by his 2024 exhibit “Tenderloin Blackness.”
For 90 minutes, Seymour will guide participants through the neighborhood as they visit locations of cultural or historical significance to the Black community in the Tenderloin. Stops on the way will include Glide Memorial Church, the Cadillac hotel, and many more.
The tour will also help participants “learn more about the reasons why Black and Brown people are so prevalent on the streets, and things that we can do to help make those numbers go smaller,” Del Seymour said.
Participants will also receive an exclusive “Tenderloin Blackness” T-shirt.
The tour meets at 2 p.m. on Saturday in front of the Tenderloin Museum, 398 Eddy St. Tickets are priced at $30 for general admission, and $20 for members. More information is available here.
This week, the Tenderloin Museum also announced a new exhibit to come in 2027 in partnership with the Tenderloin-based nonprofit Hospitality House. Titled “Art & Activism in the Tenderloin,” the exhibit will explore the history of Hospitality House, which has provided resources to unhoused people in the Tenderloin since 1967, and explore the links between art and activism.
The exhibit will be part of a new visual art event coming to the Bay Area in the summer of 2027. On Wednesday, Further Triennal announced the inaugural edition of “Around Here,” which will bring together over 80 nonprofits in the Bay Area to host a slew of visual arts exhibits. The event will take place from March 10 to June 10, 2027.
Stay tuned for more information about the Tenderloin Museum and Hospitality House’s exhibit.
Last week, three Larkin Street businesses — Hello Sandwich & Noodle, Outta Sight Pizza, and Emperor’s Kitchen — received brand new, colorful security gates to cover their storefronts. The initiative is part of the Larkin Street Revival Project, which was announced last month, thanks to a $5 million investment by crypto billionaire Chris Larsen.
The gates serve a decorative purpose as well as protect the storefront against break-ins and vandalism. They were unveiled on Feb. 8 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and press conference featuring Mayor Daniel Lurie and District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood.
“I’m so happy,” said Hang Nguyen, owner of Hello Sandwich & Noodle. “I have more customers coming in.”
Still on Larkin Street, Rosebud Gallery, an LGBTQ-focused event space and art gallery, will re-open right in time to celebrate its second anniversary. The gallery had been closed since late December, but will re-open its doors on March 5 with a new exhibit titled “Still, We Gather.”
“In a time when the world is hostile, overwhelming, and uncertain, choosing to come together is a radical act,” read the description of the event on Rosebud Gallery’s Instagram.
Attendees can expect an eclectic mix of paintings and sculptural pieces, said gallery owner Cabure Bonugli.
Applications for the latest round of the Storefront Opportunity Grant for Tenderloin businesses, announced in late January, closed last week. Administered by the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the grants offered between $50,000 and $100,000 to eligible businesses who want to open a new storefront in select neighborhoods, including the Tenderloin. Applicants will be notified by March 13.
Previous recipients of storefront opportunity grants in the Tenderloin have included Falafelland, now open on Golden Gate Avenue; Niebla, a Latin American bookstore; Sheba, a Middle Eastern store; and Libre Ancient Grains & Herbs, a tea shop.