A spaceship-shaped diner has landed in the heart of Hollywood, offering a futuristic roadside experience that merges food, entertainment, and EV charging.
Tesla, led by Elon Musk, opened its first Tesla Diner on July 21 at 7001 Santa Monica Blvd, near the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Orange Drive. The concept combines 80 high-speed Supercharger stations with a retro-themed restaurant and humanoid robot service—what Tesla calls a “car-tertainment” space.
By 11 a.m. on July 22, crowds had already packed the site. Families with infants and teenagers stood in line, many excited to see what the company described as a preview of future travel culture. Visitors snapped photos, recorded videos, and wandered the grounds, including content creators documenting the unique mix of charging and dining.
The diner’s building, shaped like stacked silver platters, resembles a spaceship and reflects Tesla’s minimalist and eco-conscious design philosophy. Bamboo and succulent gardens soften the clean, futuristic lines of the structure. The 9,300-square-foot facility houses a restaurant on the first floor and an outdoor terrace above. The diner is open to the general public, not just Tesla owners.
Inside, customers order at digital kiosks from a menu of over 30 items, including Tesla burgers, hot dogs, avocado toast, egg sandwiches, chicken & waffles, tacos, French fries, and ice cream, priced between $8 and $14. The “Skypad” staircase leads to the rooftop terrace, designed to feel like boarding a spacecraft. Upstairs, Tesla showcases three prototypes of its Optimus humanoid robot—Bumblebee, Gen1, and Gen2.
The latest model, Optimus Gen2, interacts directly with visitors, serving popcorn in paper cups and giving thumbs-up gestures. One guest playfully resisted handing over a cup, prompting a tug-of-war moment with the robot, which delighted onlookers.
The site’s 24,500-square-foot footprint includes 80 fourth-generation Superchargers with speeds up to 325kWh. Non-Tesla electric vehicles can also use the chargers with compatible adapters. Two 45-foot LED screens, mounted on the west and north sides of the lot, play movies, sitcoms, and Tesla promotional videos. Drivers can listen through their vehicle speakers via Wi-Fi.
On July 21, Elon Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) that if the retro-futuristic diner performs well, Tesla will expand the concept to other major cities and long-distance Supercharger routes worldwide.
From robot popcorn to 24-hour charging, the Tesla Diner blends roadside Americana with tomorrow’s tech, offering visitors a glimpse into what road trips might soon look like.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [kim.ian@koreadaily.com]
