It appears the mystery about Tesla’s yet-to-debut all-night diner is solved.
Los Angeles chef Eric Greenspan is reportedly working with the project, which has been kept under wraps as it nears completion.
The news was first disclosed in a post on X by Sawyer Merritt, a Tesla investor. In an implied confirmation, Tesla founder Elon Musk responded to the post, saying, “It will be cool.”
Greenspan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Merritt described the diner as having “1950s retro charm, dazzling neon lights, the unmistakable scent of freshly grilled burgers & hand-spun milkshakes. The concept will feature more than 75 V4 supercharger stalls, and two 45-foot movie screens. The idea is to give electric car drivers something to do while they charge.
Greenspan is well known in Los Angeles and more broadly for his appearances on various TV cooking shows on the Food Network, A&E, National Geographic, Fox, the Travel Channel and more, according to Merritt.
In Los Angeles, he was known for the restaurant The Foundry, where he became known for a short rib grilled cheese sandwich and somewhat of a local grilled cheese master. He later reconcepted the restaurant to focus on grilled cheese, and wrote a book, called “The Great Grilled Cheese Book.”
Greenspan also pioneered the notion of delivery-only restaurants, founding the company Alt/Grub/Faction in Los Angeles, which was a platform for several virtual brands he created.
He later went on to work with Virtual Dining Concepts, developing virtual brands to help restaurant operators generate additional revenue from their existing kitchens.
According to The New York Times, restaurant developer Bill Chait may also be involved with the project. Chait, former managing partner of Sprout LA who has been involved in the restaurants Republique, Bestia and Otium, has also been a partner in Tartine Bakery in San Francisco.
It’s not clear when the Tesla diner might open, and it is still under construction in Hollywood.
The project has already proven controversial, given its association with Musk, an increasingly polarizing figure. The richest man in the world, Musk has continued to slash government agencies as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which has prompted protesters to picket Tesla dealerships. Some vandals have also targeted Tesla vehicles, and the car company’s stock price has plummeted.
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