Popcorn bots and ‘Electric Sauce': What to know about Elon Musk's Tesla Diner
The Tesla Diner & Drive-In is many things in one. The venue includes a diner, a drive-in movie theatre, as well as a charging station. It also manages to be both futuristic and retro, and it is definitely over the top.
In addition to charging Teslas, customers can enjoy hamburgers, milkshakes, and other classic diner food which comes in Cybertruck-like boxes. Two 45-foot LED movie screens, which sync with Tesla speakers, hope to attract movie-goers to the scene.
In typical Musk-fashion, the venue looks a bit like a spaceship — perhaps a hint that the experience aims to be out of this world. There is, of course, tons of Tesla-branded merchandise on site, as well as an Optimus robot. On Monday, a Cybertruck wrapped with DOGE vehicle wrap was spotted parked at a charging station.
Just before the opening, Musk was already projecting the project to be a huge success. '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 at Supercharger sites on long distance routes,' the CEO posted on X. Burgers are hot, but Tesla sales—and Musk's image—are cooling
While the lines of excited customers seemed to imply excitement over the opening, it's tough to miss that it comes amid a fair amount of public scrutiny of the Tesla CEO. Musk's work with DOGE, an organization that facilitated mass layoffs and gutted funding for vital organizations like Medicare and Medicaid, the National Institute of Health, national parks, and more, has made him an even more polarizing figure than he already was.
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More recently, Musk fell out of favor with President Trump, resulting in the head of DOGE being ousted from his government role. A feud played out publicly, with the two men posting pointed attacks on social media. Musk blasted Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' and just weeks ago, Trump said he was even mulling potentially deporting the Tesla CEO.
And, while Elon Musk himself has been the subject of tons of scrutiny over his work in DOGE, the role may have impacted the Tesla brand, too. Tesla sales have slumped this year, too. From April to June, sales fell to 384,122 — a more than 13% drop from 443,956 in the same period last year. Musk has acknowledged that sales have slumped but brushed off bigger worries that the brand is doomed. 'The stock wouldn't be trading near all-time highs if things weren't in good shape,' he said while speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in May.
Still, given the Hollywood location, the showiness of the venue, and the multi-purposed nature of the facility, consumers may just put aside their distaste for the CEO long enough to enjoy it. Burgers, fries, and movies are not hard sells, after all. The lines outside of Musk's new venue certainly show that people are excited. Still, it's hard to say whether the enthusiasm will hold.
In April, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives slashed Tesla projections and noted at the time that Musk's government work had done irreversible damage to his brand, adding that Teslas are not just a car, but have 'become a political symbol globally.'
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