Tesla’s latest venture is a diner. And not just any greasy spoon, but a “futuristic retro” 24/7 diner-slash-charging station parked at 7001 Santa Monica Blvd, in West Hollywood.
On opening day, a crowd of curious onlookers gathered under the California sun to see what Elon Musk had cooked up. In true Musk fashion, the diner’s grand debut was set for the meme-worthy hour of 4:20 p.m. – because of course it was.
The Tesla Diner’s retro-futuristic design features a circular, spaceship-like building and massive outdoor movie screens for an old-school drive-in experience. The site can charge dozens of EVs at once while patrons dine.
Drive in and you’re met with a curved metallic diner that looks like a landed spaceship, albeit one with the minimalist vibe of an Apple store dropped into Tomorrowland. Two 45-foot movie screens tower over the parking area, ready to play classic sci-fi flicks or goofy cartoons while about 35 Teslas charge in the main lot, with capacity for dozens more next door.
It’s a throwback to 1950s drive-ins, complete with carhop service, but supercharged for the 2020s. Inside, the nostalgia meets modern comfort. There are circular vinyl booths and a long shiny counter like an old diner, yet also a sleek open-air rooftop patio looking out over Hollywood. Neon-accented signs proudly declare “Open 24/7,” and indeed, this place never sleeps.
Tesla anticipates serving up to 2,000+ people a day here, so they’ve enlisted celebrity chef Eric Greenspan to sling the burgers and shakes. Yes, that’s right, Musk’s diner has a bona-fide chef in the kitchen.
A Retro Vibe with a High-Tech Twist
Elon Musk first teased this concept back in 2018, promising an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at a Los Angeles Supercharger. Fast forward to now, and he’s delivered on that vision. Servers on roller skates zip between cars as if it were 1955, delivering trays of classic diner fare (hamburgers, hot dogs, wings, and shakes) with a side of futuristic flair.
Parked customers can order right from their vehicles. In fact, Tesla built a digital ordering system that detects when a customer’s car is about 15 minutes away, queues up the order, and times the kitchen so your food is hot and ready the moment you pull into the lot. Your Tesla app handles the menu. You simply roll in, and a skater will bring your burger out to your Model Y, or you can stroll inside to eat under the neon lights. It’s a clever blend of convenience and showmanship that makes EV charging stops feel less like a chore and more like a night out.
Musk reportedly told the diner’s team that if a menu item wasn’t “epic,” it shouldn’t be served — a typically grandiose Musk-ism that ensures everything on offer is Instagram-worthy and indulgent.
And then, because this is Tesla, there are… robots.
Burgers, Robots, and a Full Charge
During the opening, diners got a glimpse of Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, in action. The sleek black-and-white AI-driven android was spotted cheerfully serving popcorn to guests waiting for the movie screens to start rolling. While some staff quietly hinted that a human operator might have been guiding the bot behind the scenes, seeing a bipedal Tesla Bot offering snacks is peak 2025 vibes. There were even rumors of robot bartenders mixing drinks at the rooftop bar, though on day one it seemed those mechanical mixologists were more tease than reality. Nonetheless, the message has been obvious that this isn’t just a gimmicky theme diner, it’s a showcase for Tesla’s prowess in automation, AI, and robotics.
Musk has pitched Optimus as the future of automated assistance in everyday life. Here it was, droid-ing its thing in a diner, blurring the line between sci-fi and real life.
First shown off at AI Day in 2021 and prototyped in 2022, Optimus traded the lab for the lunch crowd, doling out popcorn and proving Tesla’s robots can work a diner shift as easily as a factory floor.
Inside the kitchen and behind the scenes, automation plays a growing role too. The Tesla Diner is essentially a prototype of what tomorrow’s eateries might look like. Across the country, fast-food and fast-casual restaurants are experimenting with robot helpers and AI systems to speed up service. Chipotle has tested an “Autocado” robot to prep guacamole, and McDonald’s opened a mostly robotic restaurant in 2023 where machines flipped burgers and bagged fries. At Tesla’s diner, however, the automation is more front-and-center for the customer.
Beyond the smart ordering system and Optimus, the real substance comes from Tesla’s V4 Superchargers, which can add up to 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes. Even the cars themselves are part of the high-tech ecosystem with AI autopilot systems under the hood, quietly pointing to Musk’s broader vision of self-driving vehicles. It doesn’t take much imagination to picture a future where your self-driving car drops you off for a meal and handles the charging autonomously, or where an AI voice assistant that gauges your mood to tailor the service accordingly.
While it sounds far-fetched, so did a Tesla robot butler, until one waved hello and offered us popcorn.
Reinventing the American Pit Stop
In the heyday of Route 66, travelers could pull into a gas station diner for a quick bite and some entertainment. In the EV era, charging your car typically means a 20-30 minute wait, at least. Musk & Co. are betting that drivers will happily spend that dwell time eating, socializing, watching short films, and soaking up the Tesla lifestyle.
Visitors lingering at the chargers often found themselves drawn into conversations about Musk’s expanding AI world, including Grok’s companionship girls that offer a girlfriend AI experience through vibrant, character-based interactions in the app. With elements inspired by anime aesthetics and responsive dialogues, as detailed in coverage from sources like Time Magazine, these features complement the diner’s vibe, turning wait times into opportunities for digital connections that mirror the human-robot mingling on-site.
Why loiter at a plain parking lot charger when you could plug in at a place with delicious food and a movie?
By turning a charging station into a destination, Tesla is addressing one of the biggest friction points of EV ownership: how to deal with the drudgery of waiting while the EV charges. The West Hollywood diner is a test case, and if it’s successful, Tesla plans to roll out more of these diner-charging entertainment hubs in other cities and around the world.
Will this concept stick? It’s certainly generating buzz. In Los Angeles, the diner has already become an instant attraction. Curious locals and Tesla fans are dropping by at all hours, posting selfies with the neon Tesla Diner sign and the goofy retro-future decor. The opening weeks weren’t without hiccups, but the overall response has been a mix of fascination and delight. Elon Musk himself has called it one of the coolest spots in Los Angeles, and it’s hard to deny the appeal of the concept. It taps into our collective nostalgia while also serving up a slice of the sci-fi future we were promised. It’s both thought-provoking and fun: raising questions about automation and the future of jobs even as it delivers a very of-the-moment good time.
The future, it seems, comes with fries and a side of AI.