Musk: Something More

Elon Musk has been attacked from all sides during his time at the Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Washington. Interest groups are fighting to keep every dollar of over-$6 Trillion in annual government spending, while shareholders in his companies want him to return to tending his businesses.

Elon Musk's last day as a temporary government employee was today, but he may have a few ideas about how he wants to spend his time that don't include Tesla or SpaceX.

The Tesla Diner under construction (Jessie Alcheh/SFGATE)

Elon Musk continually surprises with his list of priorities, but I doubt that many had Tesla Diner on that list.

But there’s something … different about the diner under construction at Santa Monica Boulevard and Orange Drive in Hollywood. For one, it’s got a striking two-story silver Space Age design and electric car charging stations aplenty. Large outdoor screens are set to show movie clips. And then there’s the mercurial owner, controversial Tesla and SpaceX CEO and Department of Government Efficiency architect Elon Musk...

The Tesla diner project has been in the works since 2018, when Musk announced on what was then Twitter that he was “Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA.” Progress has been slow since that first public idea, but lately, tidbits about the space have been trickling out on social media. The announcement of [Eric] Greenspan as chef was first floated on X and picked up later by the New York Times. In March, Sawyer Merritt shared on X that the “diner will feature a ‘1950s retro charm, dazzling neon lights, the unmistakable scent of freshly grilled burgers & hand-spun milkshakes.’” Merritt also noted the launch of a Tesla Diners Instagram account, which remains post-free...

The restaurant’s alien-spaceship design, courtesy of Stantec, is growing more visible by the day, despite the fencing and security around the busy corner lot. In late 2023, the restaurant was still very much a steel shell, but recent photos reveal that the building has not only been topped out but is already filling up with furniture and other finishing touches. Large movie screens affixed above the chargers are roughly in place, and word is that the screens will show films for 30 minutes, or the time it takes to charge a car.

It may have the tastiest burgers and unique decor, but I doubt that was enough to excite Elon Musk. There is undoubtedly something more to Tesla Diner.