Less than six months after opening, Elon Musk's Tesla Diner in Los Angeles has seen a dramatic drop in popularity. The once-bustling eatery, which drew hours-long queues and hundreds of customers, now feels like a ghost town. Gone are the Optimus robot serving popcorn, the 'Epic Bacon' strips, and the celebrity chef Eric Greenspan. On a recent Friday afternoon, the parking lot was only half full, and more staff were cleaning than serving customers.
The novelty of eating at a restaurant owned by the world's richest person appears to have worn off. Initial crowds of Musk fans and curious onlookers have dwindled, replaced by anti-Musk protests, noise complaints, and reports of soggy, cold food. Chef Eric Greenspan, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate, left last month to focus on opening a Jewish deli, without publicly stating his reasons. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.
The diner's menu, featuring items like the $13.50 'Tesla Giga Burger' and $8 milkshakes, received poor reviews from critics, who called the food forgettable and the concept a corporate branding exercise. Tesla merchandise, including a $175 levitating Cybertruck figurine, is also on sale. Despite Musk's claims of success—Tesla said it sold 50,000 burgers by October—the diner has not expanded, and social media buzz has faded.
Musk first proposed the 1950s-style diner in 2018 as an amenity for Tesla Supercharger stations. He described it in 2023 as 'Grease meets The Jetsons with Supercharging' and promised global expansion if successful. So far, only one location exists. Musk has not posted about the diner on X recently, and plans for further outlets remain unannounced.
