A retro-futistic diner stands up at Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. A sidelined by curved, silver and two outdoor film screens, a flying saucer appears to leave a 1950s drive-in movie and rest in a car park.
No opening date has been announced, but Tesla's overnight diners, theatres and charging stations are clearly ongoing. This means that the company's leader Elon Musk is about to enter the hospitality business.
In 2023, when Musk posted to X that Tesla was building a diner in town, he described it as “Grease meets Jetsons in the Supercharger.” As he often did, he placed his fingers on a major culture of reinvention – in this case, gas station dining in the age of electric cars must charge longer than it takes to refill the tank – and put the foresightful Gee With spin on it.
All of this has made Tesla's foray into restaurants far more equipped prospects than they'd seen a while ago.
Construction of the semi-acre complex, designed by engineering and construction company Stantec, has been moving rapidly since it began in September 2023. Above the white charging station standing in a tombstone-paved parking lot, says that the building's permit application filed in 2022 lasts for about half hours or is charging. Behind the curved walls and windows of the diner, the quilted moving blanket is wrapped in what appears to be a circular banquet. The keen eye observer noticed that the Tesla app was updated in January with codes in the Diner menu.
For months, the company has approached chefs who are well known for serving food.
When Caroline Styne and Suzanne Goin, who own Lucques Group of Restaurants in Los Angeles, conducted a survey from Tesla about the operation of the diners, they opposed it. The restaurant will not have a liquor license, Stein said.
Stein hasn't changed her mind about that, but she now sees automakers differently. Last week she replaced Tesla with an electric BMW.
“This person has played such a big role in everything that happens in every person's daily life,” she said of Musk. “And to think that this guy wasn't selected, it's so crazy.”
Wolfgang Puck Catering, which serves chicken pots and other foods at the annual party after the Academy Awards, was approached by Tesla at about the same time, according to a knowledgeable person with a knowledge of debate that sought anonymity. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
The project is very closely guarded and the restaurant group must first sign a private agreement, particularly as it bars disclosure of the agreement itself, according to two people who requested anonymity because they signed it.
Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.
For many chefs, a highly funded company offering the opportunity to run innovative restaurants that are virtually guaranteed to attract attention is an answered prayer. In an interview, some restaurateurs said they were interested in Tesla's calls.
“It sounds exciting,” said chef Walter Mans, who owns Republique in Los Angeles along with his wife Margarita. “The other day she said she wanted to buy a Tesla, so I can tell you what side she is on.”
New York-based chef John Fraser said some time ago he and the rest of his group, JF restaurants, began talking about gas station food, a genre that has room for improvement.
“Whenever a place or foodservice style changes the way food and drinks are incorporated into our lives, I want to be involved in it,” Fraser said. “This location is changing our mindset about what gas stations and convenience stores are, so we could do that.”
Registration for California Tesla vehicles fell by around 12% last year, but the Model Y was still the best-selling new car in the state. Few American cities visited Tesla as quickly and enthusiastically as Los Angeles. There, gas prices, warm climate, environmental awareness, local policies and the company's head start in train racing are colluding with Tesla like the city's default automaker.
The area's early love for Tesla influenced Shake Shack to approach the company with a proposal before opening its first Los Angeles location in 2016.
“We're on Tesla's land. Would you like to see if you want to put a charging station in your parking lot?” Electric vehicle manufacturers were not interested at the time, Meyer said.
He said he hadn't spoken about the diner project but would probably not take it.
Before his restaurant worked with museums and ballparks, Meyer said, “I ask myself if our artwork belongs to that frame.” As for Tesla, “That's not the frame I choose,” he said. “I might be ten years ago because I think there was another sparkle at that point,” he said at the time, the brand was “all about the environment.” “It seemed pretty cool.”
One Chicago hospitality chef Paul Kahan said he was not interested in working with Musk's company for several reasons. “I prefer to stay away from the insanity and lean on unity,” he said.
Many restaurateurs are reluctant to express their opinions about Tesla due to the militant view that people currently have about the company.
“I don't imagine most of my friends say 'Yes' to this,” said David Chang, a chef who lives in Los Angeles County. “But I couldn't imagine them wanting to say it publicly because of how biased they are on both sides.”
A certain controversial issue once was called the third railway in American politics. Currently, all American politics is the third railroad. For restaurateurs used to creating value on issues such as the environment and part of the image of immigration, navigating the cross-sectional currents of public opinion can be challenging.
Max Block, founder of Carvingblock, Los Angeles hospitality communications agency, said chefs at other restaurants must incorporate Musk's reputation into their calculations before signing a contract. Meanwhile, diners where drivers can watch movies from charging stations can eat meals delivered by Calhop on roller skates.
