Elon Musk launches ‘retro-futuristic’ Tesla Diner in LA
Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has launched a diner and ‘supercharging’ site in Los Angeles, and plans to roll out the concept “in major cities around the world”, says owner Musk.
Tesla owner Elon Musk had to pull something out of the bag to counter tanking sales of his electric vehicles. Sales have declined for seven consecutive quarters, with deliveries in the second quarter of 2025 down 13.5% compared with the same period last year, according to online marketplace Carwow.
Musk is hoping that branching out into hospitality via e-vehicle-friendly diners will help to move the needle in the opposite direction.
The first Tesla diner opened on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles on 19 July, boasting 80 charging stations alongside a menu including hamburgers, hotdogs and fried chicken sandwiches. While the Tesla Diner does not serve alcohol, customers can order sodas, milkshakes and frozen drinks, served in reusable, Tesla-branded bottles, with flavours changing weekly. A key part of the Tesla Diner concept is that all food and drink options can be ordered from inside Tesla vehicles, using the Tesla touchscreen or mobile app.
Retro-futuristic
Musk’s diner, which he describes as having a “retro-futuristic” aesthetic, also boasts Optimus robots serving popcorn to accompany movies shown on big screens inside the venue, which link up to the screens inside Tesla vehicles.
“If our retro-futuristic diner turns out well, which I think it will, @Tesla will establish these in major cities around the world, as well as Supercharger sites on long distance routes,” Musk wrote on social media.
However, early Tesla Diner reviews mention 90-minute long queues, chaotic service and exclusively cashless payments as being turn-offs.
Just three weeks after opening, the LA branch has also significantly scaled back its menu, according to Fortune, with many items removed completely. Tesla Diner chef Eric Greenspan claimed this is due to “unprecedented demand”. As of 5 August, diner customers have a choice of just five sandwich options, while dishes such as the veggie burger, market salad and hash brown bites have all been scrapped.
Sticking points
Furthermore, customers have highlighted that the time it takes to charge a Tesla car is not long enough to eat a meal. “From the time you order a drink to needing to move your car is almost always going to be 30 minutes or less,” wrote one driver on a Tesla Motors Club thread.
Others have queried whether drivers who do not need to charge their vehicle will still be allowed to go in and eat at the Tesla Diner.
“I wonder if they will allow anyone to park in the stalls for 30 minutes even if not charging,” pondered another Tesla owner on the same thread. “They can go with a hardline stance of no parking when not charging and that would make it difficult for customers who want to eat, but don’t need to charge. Street parking is limited around. On the flip side, allowing people to park while eating could leave a line of people waiting to charge.”
A third Tesla owner added: “The whole idea sounds cooler than it will work out in practice”.
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Liquor license
As previously mentioned, the Tesla Diner does not currently have an alcohol license. However, fans have pointed out that Musk’s ambition to eventually make all cars driverless could eventually change this.
“I guess if Tesla has self-driving in the future then alcohol is no problem,” wrote one user on the Tesla Motors Club thread.
California law currently states that for drivers over the legal drinking age of 21, there is a maximum permitted Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level of 0.08%. General guidance suggests that a male of average size will reach that 0.08% limit if they consume 4-5 standard drinks over a two-hour period. For women, it’s 3-4 standard drinks in the same timeframe.
A standard drink is classed as a 12oz (340ml) serving of beer, a 5oz (140ml) serving of wine, or a 1.5oz (44ml) serving of distilled spirits.
If the average customer is simply topping up their car battery with a 30min charge then permitting diner customers to purchase one standard sized alcoholic drink would be unlikely to take the driver above the legal BAC level. However, according to Tesla Diner rules, customers can charge their cars for as long as they are actively charging and ordering food, with additional congestion charges applying during “extremely busy” periods, when the charging points are 70% occupied.
“Once all the influencers have done their videos then I suspect there won’t be that high demand and a congestion charge,” wrote a Reddit user.
Trump card
The Tesla Diner is arguably a strategic marketing move to generate publicity for the brand following a landslide in sales and customer retention rates.
Musk’s involvement with President Trump’s administration alienated his eco-conscious customer base, and wiped an estimated US$27 billion off Musk’s net worth following his 130-day stint as a ‘special government employee’.
It’s not only politicians that need to “win hearts and minds”, and Musk will be hoping that his hotdogs will do just that.
“It’s just marketing, and it’s more interesting than just a billboard,” summarised one Reddit user.
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