When Elon Musk announced that he was building the Tesla Diner in 2018, it was sold as a wholesome, Americana-flavored vision of the future in Hollywood — electric cars charging around a communal big screen while drivers fueled up on reimagined fast food.
Since then, Mr. Musk, the world’s richest man and Tesla’s chief executive, acquired Twitter in a chaotic takeover, donated millions to President Trump’s 2024 campaign, and as the former head of DOGE set out to slash agencies across the federal government.
By the time Tesla Diner opened in July, Tesla had reported declining revenue and the Los Angeles restaurant looked more like a distraction for a brand in crisis — a viral marketing exercise on a half-acre lot where you could pretend the Cybertruck wasn’t a flop.
From the vantage point of a drone camera, two stories high, the Tesla Diner might still appear as a retro-futuristic spaceship gleaming on Santa Monica Boulevard, but from the point of view of a person, down here on the ground (hello!), it’s something else.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The post At the Tesla Diner, the Future Looks Mid appeared first on New York Times.
