Elon Musk's newest venture, a Tesla-branded diner along Santa Monica Boulevard, has raised eyebrows. Musk, who has a history of breaking rules across industries, had a vision of a high-tech diner where electric vehicle owners could plug in while having a meal.
Despite the initial hype that was generated, the project has seen unanticipated setbacks and increasing problems that now threaten its success. Why is that so?
A Daring Concept That Grabbed Eyeballs
In 2018, Musk initially hinted at the idea of a "Tesla futuristic diner" with integrated Supercharging capabilities. According to Boing Boing, the vision was to reimagine gas-station dining in the era of electric cars, providing drivers with a chic location in which they could sit and wait as their cars charged.
The tech billionaire assured that the diner would be up and running by 2023, but today the building remains a gaudy, vacant lot with no food vendor in the works.
Read more: Tesla Gets Ride-Hail Permit in California for Robotaxi Operations—Who's Eligible to Take a Ride?
Cultural Controversy Clouds Progress
The project appeared groundbreaking and timely, but Musk's increasing controversies have made the diner a political hot potato.
Musk's polarizing behavior, ranging from chainsaw stunts to DOGE-themed stunts and inflammatory emails, over the last few years has created more anti-Musk fervor.
Protesters frequently picket Tesla dealerships, and even the White House has pledged to treat Tesla vandalism as domestic terrorism.
It should be noted that these scandals have intimidated would-be food suppliers, including Wolfgang Puck and Shake Shack, which have allegedly canceled their involvement in the project for fear of its political liability, according to The New York Times.
Without a supplier, the diner is an expensive and vacant investment that adds to Musk's long list of high-flying but faltering businesses.
Tesla's Recent Stock Plunge
Adding to the diner's troubles is Tesla's financial chaos. A 50% decline in Tesla's stock price has left investors nervous, reversing sentiment from enthusiasm to fear.
With this fiscal uncertainty, it will be difficult for Musk to obtain partnerships or investors for his new businesses such as the futuristic Tesla restaurant.
A Vision at a Standstill
Even with Musk's swagger and larger-than-life personality, the Tesla diner symbolizes ambition squaring off with reality.
Some Redditors on r/LosAngeles subreddit have a lot of comments about Musk's Tesla-themed restaurant in West Hollywood (WeHo).
According to bustercaseyghost, it's on their list of top ten places in LA they will never go to.
"Save your money. This place is just like a Tesla Autopilot feature—sounds great in theory, but in reality, it's an expensive disaster waiting to happen," another user FamRep wrote, imagining the comment to be a Yelp review.
"Expect the food to taste bland due to lack of diversity," another disgruntled commenter posted.
"Well looks like I'll be bringing a lawn chair and popcorn to WeHo. Literally saw anti-musk stickers all over the traffic light poles last time I was there," one user replied to the read. "I don't think he'll be getting a warm welcome."
Musk's latest dream has made headlines, but whether it can win over diners' stomachs is a different tale altogether. For sure, wherever he goes, there's always criticism and controversy.
