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Hollywood’s Tesla Diner & Drive-In in August 2024. | Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images As Musk’s Hollywood project creeps toward an opening, we recount the seven-year saga of the Tesla Diner & Drive-In Elon Musk’s Hollywood restaurant is back in the spotlight after the New York Times published a story about the forthcoming Tesla diner, theater, and charging station on March 21. (Since then, multiple news outlets have covered the story.
) The restaurant, which appears closer to completion at the former Shakey’s Pizza site on Santa Monica Boulevard near La Brea Avenue, still has no formal opening date.Designed by architecture firm Stantec, the futuristic, eye-catching Tesla Diner & Drive-In hovers over one of Hollywood’s busiest streets. When open, it will be a two-level, 24-hour restaurant with two movie screens, dining areas, and electric vehicle charging stations.
Musk has been plotting Tesla’s Los Angeles restaurant since 2018, seven years before he became embroiled in presidential duties with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.Musk’s approach to eliminating government spending and overall adjacency to the Oval Office has been met with ample opposition. Many Americans are upset that an unelected billionaire is making national decisions that impact the country’s most vulnerable communities, resulting in protests against Musk and vandalized Tesla dealerships and cars.
Some Tesla vehicles have been shot at, others set on fire, and some defaced with swastikas over the last three months. Throughout California, sales for the popular Tesla 3 model have dropped by 36 percent.The protests have even spilled over to the Los Angeles restaurant community after Republique chefs Walter and Margarita Manzke hinted at the possibility of developing a Tesla Hollywood menu in the Times story.
(Chef Suzanne Goin and Wolfgang Puck were reportedly asked but turned down the opportunity, according to the Times.) In contrast, Walter said, “It sounds exciting. She [Margarita] told me the other day that she wants to buy a Tesla, so I can tell you what side she’s on.
”In a now-deleted Instagram post, the duo shared the below statement on March 21, with many commenters coming out in opposition to the Musk endeavor: Screenshot of the now-deleted statement by Republique on March 21, 2025. Screenshot of comments under the Manzke’s Instagram statement. Reactions and opening plans aside, Eater has kept an eye on the Tesla restaurant and charging station since it was first announced more than seven years ago.
Here’s a timeline that tracks when this started and brings us up to date:When did Musk announce the restaurant?On X (formerly Twitter), Musk announced in January 2018 that the charging station restaurant was happening but provided no actual timeline or location. In a Twitter reply, Musk stated it would be “near [the] 405” freeway.” Another person Tweeted about ordering food, to which Musk said, “We can just have the menu pop up as soon as you put the car into park.
”Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2018Where is the restaurant going to be located?In March 2018, Elektrek reported that Tesla applied for a permit at the compact lot at 1401 Santa Monica Boulevard, on the corner of 14th Street in Santa Monica. That plan changed in 2022 when the 50-year-old Santa Monica Boulevard Shakey’s Pizza in Hollywood closed to make way for the future Tesla Diner & Drive-In. NBC-4 reported that Shakey’s did not want to close that specific location but the owner sold the property and terminated its lease.
What progress has been made on the restaurant? In June 2021, Tesla filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which sought to use its name and logo for “restaurant services.
” The company also submitted building applications earlier that same year. The Los Angeles County Department of Building and Safety approved plans in August 2023 to build a Tesla restaurant and charging station at its current Hollywood site. On a Tesla Motors subreddit, an anonymous user shared architectural plans with followers.
In April 2024, former Tesla chief designer Alex Ingram shared footage of the restaurant’s construction site on X. The footage showed that construction on the main building had not yet started. Fireside chat.
..but take it anywhere.
@woodhaus2 & I held one last week powered entirely by Cybertruck & @starlink at the site of the upcoming Tesla hollywood diner pic.twitter.com/bSIZbaMYt1— Alexander Ingram (@Alex_M_Ingram) April 3, 2024What is the current status of Musk’s restaurant?Construction at the Hollywood restaurant is underway, with crews on-site during weekdays.
As with most aspects of this ongoing project, the details are sparse—including an opening date. Since mid-2024, job postings have appeared, including one for a Tesla dining experience specialist. The position has some hefty expectations: The individual must oversee audio and visual operations related to the restaurant by programming content, menu reviews, facility management, and collaborating with other Tesla teams.
Mona Holmes Tesla Diner & Drive-In on March 11, 2025..
