Tesla Diner

Restaurant in Los Angeles, California, US From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Tesla Diner is a restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles operated by Tesla, Inc. It serves traditional American cuisine such as burgers, hot dogs, and French fries and includes a drive-in theater and 75 V4 Supercharger stalls.[1] It opened on July 21, 2025.[2]

EstablishedJuly 21, 2025 (2025-07-21)
Food typeAmerican
Location7001 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, United States
Coordinates34.0909°N 118.3418°W / 34.0909; -118.3418
Quick facts Restaurant information, Established ...
Tesla Diner
The Tesla Diner in 2025
Interactive map of Tesla Diner
Restaurant information
EstablishedJuly 21, 2025 (2025-07-21)
Food typeAmerican
Location7001 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, United States
Coordinates34.0909°N 118.3418°W / 34.0909; -118.3418
Seating capacity250+
Websitetesla.com/tesla-diner
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History

The Tesla Diner under construction in 2024

Elon Musk first announced the concept for the diner in 2018,[3] and in 2023 confirmed Tesla would build a diner in Los Angeles which he described as being "Grease meets Jetsons with Supercharging."[4] Tesla initially applied for a building permit at a lot located at 1401 Santa Monica Boulevard on the corner of 14th Street in Santa Monica.[5] In 2022, it was announced it would be located at the site of a former Shakey's Pizza in Hollywood.[6] The location is on the historic Route 66.[7]

The building was designed by the architecture firm Stantec. The silver two story building has a space age design in the shape of a flying saucer.[8] It features a restaurant, two movie screens, and charging stations for electric vehicles.[5] In March 2025, longtime Los Angeles chef Eric Greenspan was announced as the restaurant's head chef.[1][9]

Two weeks after opening, the restaurant reduced its menu to a smaller selection of items, and limited its 24-hour service only to those charging Tesla vehicles between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.[10] In October 2025, Tesla stated that it had sold 50,000 burgers since opening, averaging over 700 a day.[11]

On November 18, 2025, The Los Angeles Times reported that Greenspan has severed his ties with the restaurant, and that it will shift to a full-service restaurant model.[12]

The diner sometimes hosts special events on the upstairs deck, known as The Skypad.[11]

Reception

Jennifer A. Kingson, writing in Axios, said the restaurant may serve as a national blueprint, starting a new retail category of charge-and-dine restaurants.[13] Gab Chabran, writing in LAist, said that Musk was looking to capitalize on the distinctive West Coast diner culture rooted in classic cars and cruising.[14] Matt Novak, writing in Gizmodo, said that "I hate that I love it. And I really wish anyone else but Musk was building it right now."[15]

In July 2025, the diner attracted protestors opposing Musk's political views and involvement in the second Trump administration.[16] The attention brought to the diner has raised concerns among residents.[17]

The Guardian reported that by December 2025 the diner had the "feel of a ghost town" and that the "novelty of eating at a restaurant owned by the richest person in the world seems to have worn off."[11]

References

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