Tesla Diner
A Tesla-operated Los Angeles diner combining classic American food, electric-vehicle charging, and a drive-in theater.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Tesla Diner is a restaurant operated by Tesla, Inc. on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The venue combines a traditional American diner format with Tesla’s electric-vehicle charging network and an entertainment-oriented drive-in concept. Its menu centers on familiar American foods, including burgers, hot dogs, and French fries, while the site also offers two movie screens and 75 V4 Supercharger stalls. The combination makes the restaurant both a food-service venue and a branded charging destination. The concept was first publicly discussed by Elon Musk in 2018. Musk later confirmed in 2023 that Tesla intended to build a diner in Los Angeles, describing the idea as “Grease meets Jetsons with Supercharging.” The concept linked the visual and social traditions of the American diner—especially cruising, roadside architecture, and car culture—with Tesla’s focus on electric mobility. Initial permitting activity identified a proposed location at 1401 Santa Monica Boulevard at the corner of 14th Street in Santa Monica. In 2022, the project was associated with a former Shakey’s Pizza site in Hollywood, on the historic Route 66 corridor. The completed building was designed by Stantec. Its silver, two-story structure has a futuristic, flying-saucer-inspired appearance and contains the restaurant, movie screens, vehicle-charging infrastructure, and an upstairs deck known as the Skypad. The site’s architecture and relationship to Tesla vehicles were central to its public identity, making the diner as much a destination and brand experience as a conventional restaurant. Longtime Los Angeles chef Eric Greenspan was announced as head chef in March 2025. Tesla Diner opened on July 21, 2025. Early operations attracted considerable public attention, both because of the novelty of a Tesla-branded restaurant and because of the prominence and political associations of Tesla chief executive Elon Musk. The diner also drew protesters opposed to Musk’s political views and his involvement in the second Trump administration, adding a political dimension to the opening-period publicity. Operationally, the restaurant adjusted its offer shortly after launch. About two weeks after opening, it reduced its menu to a smaller selection and restricted its overnight, 24-hour service so that between midnight and 6 a.m. it was available only to customers charging Tesla vehicles. In October 2025, Tesla said the diner had sold 50,000 burgers since opening, equivalent to an average of more than 700 burgers per day during the stated period. In November 2025, the Los Angeles Times reported that Greenspan had ended his relationship with the restaurant and that the operation would move toward a full-service restaurant model. The diner’s reception reflected both curiosity and controversy. Supporters and observers viewed it as a possible model for a new category of charge-and-dine retail, in which drivers spend time eating and watching entertainment while their vehicles recharge. Other commentary interpreted the venue as an attempt to commercialize the distinctive culture of West Coast diners, classic cars, and cruising. Criticism focused on Tesla’s corporate and political associations, local concerns, and questions about whether the novelty could sustain long-term demand. By December 2025, The Guardian described the site as having the feel of a “ghost town,” suggesting that public excitement had diminished after the opening period. Tesla Diner therefore remains a highly distinctive but still narrowly concentrated brand expression: a single Los Angeles restaurant that extends Tesla’s identity beyond vehicles, charging equipment, and energy technology into hospitality and experiential retail.
History
Tesla Diner developed from Elon Musk’s proposal for a Tesla-branded diner first announced in 2018. The concept connected Tesla’s electric-vehicle ecosystem with a recognizable American roadside institution. Rather than functioning only as a place to buy food, the proposed venue was intended to give Tesla drivers somewhere to eat and spend time while charging, while also offering a visual and cultural extension of the company’s vehicle identity. In 2023, Musk confirmed that Tesla would build a diner in Los Angeles and characterized the concept as “Grease meets Jetsons with Supercharging.” This description captured the project’s intended mixture of retro American diner culture and futuristic electric mobility. Early permitting identified a site at 1401 Santa Monica Boulevard near 14th Street in Santa Monica. By 2022, the project had been reported in connection with a former Shakey’s Pizza property in Hollywood, located along the historic Route 66 corridor. The building was designed by Stantec as a silver, two-story structure with a space-age, flying-saucer-like form. Its program included a restaurant, two movie screens, and electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. The completed site contains 75 V4 Supercharger stalls. An upper-level deck called the Skypad is used for special events and forms part of the venue’s destination-oriented design. In March 2025, Los Angeles chef Eric Greenspan was announced as head chef. Tesla Diner opened on July 21, 2025. Its food offer was based on traditional American diner fare, including burgers, hot dogs, and French fries. The combination of food, charging, and drive-in movies generated substantial media interest and led observers to consider whether the venue could establish a broader charge-and-dine retail format. The opening period also exposed operational and reputational challenges. About two weeks after launch, Tesla reduced the menu and curtailed its round-the-clock schedule. From midnight to 6 a.m., overnight access was limited to people charging Tesla vehicles. The location also became a site of protests directed at Musk’s politics and his involvement in the second Trump administration. These demonstrations increased the diner’s visibility but also contributed to local debate and concern. Tesla said in October 2025 that the venue had sold 50,000 burgers since opening. In November, the Los Angeles Times reported that Greenspan had ended his relationship with the diner and that the restaurant would transition to a full-service model. Later commentary questioned whether the opening novelty had translated into durable traffic. The Guardian reported in December 2025 that the diner had the appearance of a ghost town, indicating that public enthusiasm may have weakened after the initial launch. Tesla Diner is consequently best understood as an experimental hospitality and retail concept rather than a documented national restaurant chain. Its importance lies in the way it combines Tesla charging infrastructure with food service, entertainment, branded architecture, and car culture. Available reference material documents one Los Angeles location and does not establish a wider operating network.
- 2025
Eric Greenspan announced as head chef
[1]Longtime Los Angeles chef Eric Greenspan was announced as the restaurant’s head chef in March.
- 2025
Tesla Diner opens
[1]The diner opened on July 21 with American food, movie screens, and 75 V4 Supercharger stalls.
- 2025
Operating model adjusted
[1]The menu was reduced shortly after opening and overnight service was limited to Tesla customers charging between midnight and 6 a.m.
- 2025
Burger sales reported
[1]Tesla reported selling 50,000 burgers since opening, with an average of more than 700 burgers per day.
- 2025
Shift toward full-service restaurant
[1]Following Greenspan’s departure, the diner was reported to be moving toward a full-service restaurant model.
- 2023
Los Angeles construction confirmed
[1]Musk confirmed that Tesla would build the diner in Los Angeles and described the intended concept as a fusion of classic diner culture and futuristic charging.
- 2022
Hollywood location identified
[1]The project was reported as being planned for the site of a former Shakey’s Pizza in Hollywood on historic Route 66.
- 2018
Diner concept announced
[1]Elon Musk first announced the concept of a Tesla diner, linking restaurant service with Tesla’s electric-vehicle ecosystem.
Products and positioning
A futuristic, Tesla-branded charge-and-dine destination that combines American diner culture, electric-vehicle infrastructure, and drive-in entertainment.
Food service · 2025
American diner menu
Tesla Diner serves familiar American diner food, with burgers, hot dogs, and French fries identified as core examples. The menu was reduced shortly after opening, so the available reference material does not establish a complete or permanent menu.
Electric-vehicle charging · 2025
Tesla Supercharging
The site includes 75 V4 Supercharger stalls, allowing Tesla customers to charge vehicles while using the restaurant and entertainment facilities. Charging is a central part of the venue’s charge-and-dine proposition.
Entertainment · 2025
Drive-in theater
Two movie screens give the diner a drive-in theater component. The screens extend the site beyond food service and support the concept of spending charging time at a branded entertainment destination.
Events and hospitality · 2025
Skypad
The Skypad is the name used for the diner’s upstairs deck. It sometimes hosts special events and contributes an event-space element to the restaurant’s overall offering.
Brand decisions
2025
Opening the Tesla DinerProduct launchBackground
Tesla developed a futuristic restaurant and charging destination on Santa Monica Boulevard, incorporating American diner food, movie screens, and Supercharger stalls.
Action taken
The diner opened on July 21, 2025.
Aftermath
The launch generated significant media attention, attracted protests related to Musk’s politics, and prompted discussion of charge-and-dine venues as a possible new retail category.
2025
Reducing the menu and limiting overnight accessStrategyBackground
The diner adjusted its operating model approximately two weeks after opening.
Action taken
Tesla reduced the menu and limited midnight-to-6 a.m. service to customers charging Tesla vehicles.
Aftermath
The changes narrowed the offer and tied overnight access more directly to the site’s Supercharging function.
2025
Moving toward a full-service restaurant modelStrategyBackground
Following the reported departure of head chef Eric Greenspan, the diner’s operating direction was reconsidered.
Action taken
Tesla Diner was reported to be shifting toward a full-service restaurant model.
Aftermath
The change represented a further adjustment of the venue’s hospitality proposition after its initial launch period.
2023
Confirming a Tesla diner in Los AngelesStrategyBackground
After the concept had been discussed since 2018, Tesla confirmed plans for a Los Angeles diner combining restaurant service with vehicle charging and entertainment.
Action taken
The company proceeded with a purpose-built venue on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood area.
Aftermath
The project became a physical extension of Tesla’s brand into hospitality and experiential retail.
Sources1 sources
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