What Is the Tesla Diner? What We Can Expect
More details revealed on the upcoming Tesla Diner in Los Angeles.
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Way back in 2018, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that he was going to open an old-school diner at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles. He said it would have roller skates and include an outdoor screen that would play a "highlight reel of the best scenes in movie history."
Five years after that tweet, we have an official rendering, a location, and some idea of what the Tesla Diner will be.
Where Is the Tesla Diner Going to Be?
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According to the Los Angeles Times, Tesla submitted documents to the city of Los Angeles on May 19, 2022, for a 24-hour Tesla Diner located at 7001 W. Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood. For those familiar with the area, that's the former home of Shakey's Pizza.
Although Shakey's closed in July 2022, Tesla hadn't yet begun diner construction at the time of this article's writing. However, the official rendering of the Tesla Diner was revealed at the company's Investor Day on March 1, 2023, so this could mean we'll see movement soon.
What Will the Tesla Diner Look Like?
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A plan submitted to the city of Los Angeles in May 2022 digs deeper into the details of the proposed diner — right down to the shrubbery. It shows a two-story structure, 28 Tesla Superchargers, space for two movie screens, and a bamboo barrier on the north and west sides of the property.
According to the official application, the two movie screens would be visible from the charging stations as well as the restaurant and would show 30-minute features instead of full-length movies. The Superchargers and the diner would operate 24 hours a day, but the movie screens would only be operational between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Beyond that, we don't know for sure what kind of food will be served, when the facility will open, if the waitstaff will be wearing roller skates, or whether the Tesla Superchargers will be open to non-Tesla EVs.
Have Other Automakers Started Their Own Restaurants?
Genesis
Although the idea of an electric-vehicle-focused diner is new, an automaker creating a specific space that goes beyond a dealership isn't. In 2016, Cadillac opened an event space with a coffee shop called Cadillac House — New York, which has since closed. Lexus later opened restaurants in New York City, Tokyo, and Dubai.
Most recently, the Korean automaker Genesis opened what it terms a "sophisticated oasis" in New York's Meatpacking District. Called Genesis House, this space contains a boutique-style vehicle showroom on the first floor and a restaurant focused on traditional Korean food (some recipes date back to the 1300s) on the second floor.
