Elon Musk had teased the idea of a diner and drive-in movie theater in conjunction with his Tesla charging stations back in 2018, and now it looks like his plans are moving forward.
In May 2021, Tesla applied with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark its stylized “T” logo for “restaurant services, pop-up restaurant services, self-service restaurant services, and takeout restaurant services.”
Last month, Tesla submitted documents to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning for the diner and drive-in theater, including plans to demolish a Stuckey’s Pizza on the proposed site at 7001 West Santa Monica Boulevard to make way for the new project.
Renderings of the proposed diner show a 3,800-square-foot enclosed lower level and a 5,500-square-foot outdoor seating and cooking area. There will be 34 charging stations in the parking lot, including 29 superchargers and five Level 2 chargers.
Patrons will be able to watch movies on two screens. The films will run approximately 30 minutes in length, about the same amount of time it takes to charge an electric car. Tesla has requested that the city allow the diner and charging stations to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Musk tweeted in 2018 that his plans include an outdoor screen that “plays a highlight reel of the best scenes in movie history” and a touchscreen menu for ordering food.
When the Tesla CEO first posted about the futuristic concept, he intended it to be in Los Angeles. He also told his Twitter followers that his cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, would be accepted.
In the same year, the city of Santa Monica received an official application for a building permit. In April 2021, Musk tweeted about a new supercharger station in Santa Monica and a 50s-style diner with a screen showing 100 of the best movie clips.
While Tesla has ventured into electric cars and aerospace, the company has minimal experience with drive-ins. Sonic offered its assistance, replying to Musk via Twitter in 2018, “We know a thing or two about drive-ins. You bring the ride; we’ve got the food.”