Elon Musk’s long-awaited drive-in diner in Hollywood has finally opened

Well, we all knew it was coming: The Tesla diner and drive-in in Hollywood is finally opening at 4:20pm today (ugh) after several years of construction and permitting delays. According to Tesla-focused blog Not a Tesla App, the Texas-based electric car company held a preview event for first responders over the weekend complete with several Optimus units walking around on-site. (It’s unclear if the diner will actually employ said Tesla robots as servers.) Ah, to be alive in 2025!

Elon Musk’s pet project was first announced to the public back in 2022, well before the South African-born tech billionaire began dabbling in politics and gutted several federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency. (More recently, he’s started his own political party with former Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang.) The now-controversial Tesla diner went without a culinary lead for some time before ghost kitchen chef Eric Greenspan was hired to oversee the menu earlier this year. Per New York Times reporting, veteran restaurateur Bill Chait (Bestia, Vespertine, Destroyer, among others) is also involved. The project also caused local backlash when Margarita and Walter Manzke, the co-owners of L.A.’s award-winning République voiced support for the diner.

As previously reported, the new Tesla diner will reportedly feature 110 V4 chargers—the fastest charging stations available on the market—as well as a drive-in movie theater with 45-foot screens. Although there are 110 chargers available on the property (most situated in an ancillary parking lot), only 35 vehicle chargers are located in the vicinity of the movie screens. The entire structure has a retro-futuristic feel, with plenty of curved lines and metallic accents. Speaking directly to Eater’s Matthew Kang this afternoon, Chait said that Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer, oversaw the building‘s design and oversaw almost every aspect of the customer experience.

Per photos from tech blog Techeblog, the indoor dining area features a curved counter and neon lighting. A rooftop dining area, visible from the street, will be available for anyone who wants to leave their cars for their meal. Not a Tesla App reports that Tesla owners will be able to order food directly from their cars through a proprietary app and stream whatever movie’s playing on the screens inside their cars.

In terms of food, expect traditional fast food fare courtesy of Greenspan, who also runs New School American, a boutique cheese company favored by Nancy Silverton at Chi Spacca. The menu includes burgers, fries, chicken wings, hot dogs, milkshakes and other handhelds. Early images reveal a Cybertruck-shaped burger container, plus diner-exclusive merch, plus various items of Tesla memorabilia from over the years. Highlights include an Optimus robot action figure with its own tiny container of fries. 

Despite the political lightning rod that is Musk, media outlets have been quick to scope out the latest updates on the Tesla diner. Yesterday, Forbes contributor Brooke Crothers captured footage of the Tesla’s parking lot on Sunday, July 20, which includes approximately 75 V4 chargers in a separate backlot. 

The Tesla Diner is located at 7001 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038 and will reportedly be open 24 hours a day.