The Tesla Diner has become a hub for fans of Elon Musk
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By Hadas Gold, CNN
Los Angeles (CNN) — On an unassuming corner in West Hollywood, a massive round silver building towers over the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Orange Drive.
The Tesla Diner, which opened in July, is a two-story restaurant, electric vehicle charging station, Drive-in theater and merchandise shop all rolled into one. But it’s also become a major pilgrimage destination for fans of polarizing billionaire Elon Musk and his many companies.
Musk first announced the idea of a Tesla diner in 2018, but it took five years for construction to begin. By the time the diner opened, Musk and his companies had been through a rollercoaster of events, from buying what was then Twitter in 2022 to an alliance (and explosive fallout) with President Donald Trump to Tesla being hit by mass protests and plummeting sales.
But for some customers at the diner, Musk’s foray into politics, the messy breakup with Trump and Tesla’s struggles are merely background noise.
Jetsons-style diner
Tesla’s Cybertruck is known for its sharp angles. But at the diner, nearly everything has rounded edges — save, of course, for the Cybertruck food boxes.
Tesla drivers can choose from 80 supercharger stations surrounding the diner and can order food directly from their cars’ touch screens, while audio for the drive-in movie screens is piped into their sound system.
But many customers choose to experience the diner inside, which involves entering through a circular entryway that leads to curved counters, oval booths and rounded chairs — all in shades of chrome, white and black. A spiral staircase, decorated with displays of various versions of Tesla’s Optimus autonomous robot, lead to the “Skypad” rooftop, where Tesla and Optimus-branded merchandise is sold — including $35 Tesla gummy candies. From the Skypad, diners can watch the giant movie screens and take in views of the Hollywood sign.
In the diner’s opening weeks, an Optimus robot served popcorn on the Skypad, but staff said it had been out of service for several weeks when CNN visited in mid-August.
Other elements from the opening days have also changed. Several of the food options — like the “Epic Bacon” — were no longer on the menu when CNN visited.
But none of these hiccups have deterred the company’s fans. Tesla fan clubs regularly hold meetups at the diner, and Cybertruck owners in the opening days held coordinated “light shows,” which involved trucks lining up autonomously and flashing their headlights synced up to music. Fans gathered at the diner on Tuesday to watch the launch of Musk’s SpaceX Starship. Others have documented their cross-country road trips (in their Teslas, of course) to reach the diner.
Musk fans shrug off recent drama
Jacob Towe, a high-end lighting designer, visited the diner while on a trip from Florida. He told CNN that before the diner opened, fans were limited to visiting exclusive supercharger stations, going on factory tours or visiting SpaceX’s Starbase. The diner is a more “down-to-earth” and “natural” place to “chat with like-minded people,” he said.
Towe, who owns five Teslas, several Starlink satellite internet devices, as well as Tesla powerwall and powerbank charging systems, said he sees Musk as one of the world’s rare innovators.
He said he appreciates Musk’s ability to ignore public opinion — even to a fault. “It’s entertaining, if nothing else,” Towe said, adding that it’s an example of Musk being “100% data, 0% noise.”
He also admires Musk’s jump into politics and Musk’s vow to start his own political party after a public squabble with Trump. Towe called the political undertaking “pretty impressive” and an example of Musk choosing “a hard path.”
“(Musk will) come up with something that everyone says should not be done, or it’s actually really hard and … way too expensive,” Towe said. “Musk will somehow do it and figure it out and then somehow make money out of it.”
A group of fans recently presented Musk with “thank you” letters and a compilation video as part of the annual “X Takeover” event in Silicon Valley. The effort started as a Tesla fan event but evolved into a celebration of Musk’s companies.
John Stringer, one of the event’s organizers and the president of the Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley group, told CNN that the video came about because of the way Musk and his companies have been treated.
“I’m a believer in the things that he’s doing because it’s having an impact, and no one else is driving this type of impact,” Stringer said, before adding that Musk is “the greatest mind on the planet.”
“He is out here trying to help the world and make it better,” Stringer said.
Neighborhood headaches and protests
Not everyone is pleased with the diner.
In a neighboring apartment building, there is a poster of Musk’s face with the word “DOUCHE” underneath it that takes up a window facing the superchargers. Other neighbors have complained about their windows being completely blocked by the giant movie screen and the increased traffic and noise.
The diner has become a magnet for protestors who have also targeted Tesla showrooms and factories. The demonstrations have been in response to Musk’s former role in the Trump administration and his public stances on immigration and transgender issues.
Even some Tesla fans said that while they support Musk, they hope he will return his focus to his companies.
Customer Patrick Renner told CNN that he was “very excited” to try out the diner when he arrived in his gray Model Y. But when asked how he feels about Musk’s foray into politics, Renner said that while Musk “can do a lot of things” and is “very smart,” he thinks “Tesla needs him at the moment.”
The-CNN-Wire
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