
Elon Musk's Tesla Diner Now Open: Showing Futuristic ‘The Jetsons', Robots Serving Popcorn
After years of talk and a soft launch over the weekend, Elon Musk's Tesla Diner, a full drive-in movie theatre, officially opened late Monday. The diner is located on Santa Monica Boulevard, at the site of a former Shakey's Pizza restaurant. The new setup is both retro and futuristic. It combines a classic American diner with Tesla-themed features. There are charging stations, a rooftop drive-in, and even a humanoid robot called 'Optimus" serving popcorn.
As per a NBC News report, the fans started queuing at sunrise. Inside the two-storey building, customers were greeted by servers on roller skates. They offered free samples of ice cream. The rooftop theatre played old shows like The Jetsons, adding to the nostalgic feel.
Los Angeles chef Eric Greenspan designed the menu. It includes grilled cheese, fried chicken and waffles, and tuna melts. There are also Tesla-themed items like the Tesla Burger with Electric Sauce. Prices range from $4 for sides to $15 for main dishes.
Many fans waited in the heat with no clear update on when the diner would open. Despite the confusion, the mood remained cheerful. Some people shared snacks and chatted about Tesla cars. A few brought lawn chairs and made a day of it.
Here's What Foodies And Fans Said
Some fans came in their Cybertrucks and Tesla vehicles. They hoped to use the new Supercharger stations, but they were not working during the wait. One visitor, Tracy Kuss from San Diego, said she arrived at 8 am but was worried about her battery running low. 'I need to be the first to charge," she joked.
Another couple, YouTuber, Everyday Chris and his wife Janice, arrived at 5:30 am. They were excited to see the robot and the space-themed bathrooms that had gone viral online.
Many Tesla influencers attended the event. A Cybertruck with Dogecoin graphics drew extra attention.
Tesla Diner is retro-futuristic diner & drive-in charging experience all wrapped into one80 V4 Supercharger stalls are open to all NACS-compatible EVs, making it the largest urban Supercharger in the world pic.twitter.com/CKiNtpqm6Y
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 22, 2025
But Not Everyone Was Celebrating
Not everyone was there to celebrate. A local protester held a sign that read, 'Elon Musk save America from evil Trump and his puppets." Musk's political ties have brought controversy in recent years. His brief role in the Department of Government Efficiency also led to backlash.
There should be more things like this https://t.co/gKIsaaJZVz — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 22, 2025
Musk later posted on X that if the diner does well, he plans to open more. These diners may come to other cities and Supercharger stops around the world.
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter' becomes highest-grossing country tour ever
By Danielle Broadway and Alicia Powell Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter' becomes highest-grossing country tour ever LOS ANGELES, - Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" tour is now the highest-grossing country tour of all time with over $400 million in revenue, Live Nation said in a statement on Monday, citing a Billboard story. The "Cuff It" singer has also become the highest-grossing Black artist of all time and the highest-grossing R&B artist of all time, Live Nation added. Additionally, the 43-year-old performer has made history as the first woman and American act to have two different tours earn over $400 million. In late April, the singer launched the "Cowboy Carter" tour in Los Angeles, rolling through "Texas Hold 'Em" and other country hits while sharing the stage with her two daughters. Last Saturday, Beyonce finished the record-breaking tour in Las Vegas with special appearances from her husband, rapper Jay-Z, her former R&B girl group, Destiny's Child, and country singer Shaboozey. Throughout her tour, the "16 Carriages" vocalist has paid homage to Black American contributions to country music, specifically honoring Black performers, some of whom are featured in the "Cowboy Carter" album. Beyonce has spoken candidly about not feeling welcomed in the country genre despite her Texas roots, after she became the first Black woman to win Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Her performance at the Country Music Association Awards in 2016 received notable backlash, including racist comments across social media from those saying her songs were not real country music. There were 32 sold-out stadium shows across North America, the UK, and Europe that grossed over $400 million, according to Live Nation. By contrast, pop singer Taylor Swift earned over $2 billion for her Eras tour that spanned from March 2023 to December 2024, becoming the highest-grossing tour ever. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.


Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
10 Indian-origin authors in the US and the schools that shaped them
In the shifting sands of American literature, Indian-origin authors are not merely participants—they're cartographers, redrawing the boundaries of belonging, memory, and language. Their lives are stitched together with transcontinental schooling, family aspirations, and a relentless urge to tell stories that straddle two worlds. Here's a deep dive into 10 such authors currently living and working in the US—and the classrooms that helped shape their creative journeys. Salman Rushdie: From Bombay dreams to New York realities Lives in Manhattan, New York Before the fatwa and the fame, there was Bombay. Born to Anis Ahmed Rushdie, a businessman with a reverence for history, and Negin Bhatt, a teacher, Salman Rushdie grew up steeped in ideas. Schooled at Cathedral and John Connon in Mumbai and later Rugby School in England, he read history at King's College, Cambridge—setting the stage for fiction that would blend epic imagination with postcolonial intellect. Subjects Studied: History Institutions Attended: Cathedral and John Connon School Rugby School King's College, Cambridge Selected Works: Midnight's Children The Satanic Verses Haroun and the Sea of Stories Victory City Joseph Anton Abraham Verghese: Ethiopian childhood, southern roots, Stanford laurels Lives in Palo Alto, California Born in Addis Ababa to Malayali parents, Abraham Verghese is the son of Joseph Verghese, a respected school principal, and Mariam George Verghese, a teacher. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kate Middleton Dared To Wear This Outfit And It Took Prince William's Breath Away Crowdy Fan Undo His early education was infused with discipline and compassion—traits that would shape both doctor and novelist. After graduating from Madras Medical College, he moved to the US for residencies in Tennessee and Boston. Later, he added an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, making him a rare breed: A physician-author whose prose carries the precision of a scalpel and the soul of a psalm. Now a professor at Stanford, Verghese brings migration, medicine, and memory to life. Subjects Studied: Medicine Internal Medicine (residency) Creative Writing Institutions Attended: Madras Medical College East Tennessee State University Boston University Iowa Writers' Workshop Selected Works: Cutting for Stone The Covenant of Water My Own Country The Tennis Partner Pico Iyer: Between continents and minds Divides time between Big Sur, California and Nara, Japan Son of the philosopher Raghavan N. Iyer and academic Nandini Iyer, Pico Iyer's biography is practically a philosophical riddle. Born in England, raised in California, educated at Eton, Oxford, and Harvard—his life resembles a literary map in constant motion. Though a British citizen, Iyer writes from California and Japan, his prose echoing with themes of stillness, solitude, and the spiritual cost of modernity. His work is less about passport and more about perspective. Subjects Studied: English Literature Institutions Attended: Eton College University of Oxford Harvard University Selected Works: The Half Known Life The Art of Stillness Video Night in Kathmandu The Open Road Siddhartha Mukherjee: Medicine in the blood, storytelling in the soul Lives in New York City Born in Delhi to Dr Subir Mukherjee, a physician, and Chandana Mukherjee, Siddhartha grew up with dinner table conversations that veered between biology and Bengali literature. He attended St. Columba's School in Delhi before heading to Stanford. A Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and a Harvard Medical School graduate, Mukherjee has made medical science profoundly human through narrative. Now based in New York, he bridges the lab and the library with unusual ease. Subjects Studied: Biology Immunology Medicine Institutions Attended: St. Columba's School (Delhi) Stanford University University of Oxford Harvard Medical School Selected Works: The Emperor of All Maladies The Gene: An Intimate History The Song of the Cell The Laws of Medicine Jhumpa Lahiri: Rhythms from Bengal to Rhode Island to Princeton Lives in Princeton, New Jersey Born in London, raised in the US, Jhumpa Lahiri is the daughter of Amar Lahiri, a librarian at the University of Rhode Island, and Tapati Lahiri, a schoolteacher. The immigrant melancholy of her childhood—half in West Bengal, half in New England—haunts her prose. She studied at Barnard College and earned multiple graduate degrees at Boston University, including a PhD. Today, as a professor at Princeton, she continues to write across two languages, exploring themes of identity and translation—often, quite literally. Subjects Studied: English Literature Comparative Literature Renaissance Studies Institutions Attended: Barnard College Boston University Princeton University Selected Works: Interpreter of Maladies The Namesake Unaccustomed Earth Translating Myself and Others Tania James: Science, Art, and the hyphenated life Lives in Washington, D.C. Born in Chicago and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Tania James is the daughter of Cecil James, an engineer, and Saroja James, a pharmacist. While science paid the bills at home, art stirred her soul. She studied Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard and later pursued an MFA in creative writing at Columbia. Her stories move between continents with fluid grace—much like her own upbringing. Subjects Studied: Visual and Environmental Studies Creative Writing Institutions Attended: Harvard University Columbia University Selected Works: Loot The Tusk That Did the Damage Atlas of Unknowns Aerogrammes Vauhini Vara: Journeys North and West Lives in Fort Collins, Colorado Born in Canada and raised in the US, Vara has been shaped more by parental values than publicity—her parents choose to remain out of the spotlight. But their quiet resilience shines through her work. After earning a degree in international relations from Stanford, she pursued creative writing at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Now based in Colorado, Vara fuses speculative tech with sharp realism. Subjects Studied: International Relations Creative Writing Institutions Attended: Stanford University Iowa Writers' Workshop Selected Works: The Immortal King Rao This Is Salvaged Parini Shroff: Law, letters, and laughter Lives in the Bay Area, California Not much is known about Parini Shroff's family history, but her voice is unmistakably shaped by cultural duality. She studied law at Loyola Law School before turning to fiction through an MFA at the University of Texas, Austin. Her breakout novel is a riotous take on crime, caste, and female resistance—India seen through a diasporic telescope, tinted with satire. Subjects Studied: Law Fiction Writing Institutions Attended: Loyola Law School University of Texas at Austin Selected Work: The Bandit Queens Zara Chowdhary: The Search for Home Lives in Madison, Wisconsin Zara's life has been one of movement—India, the UK, and finally the American Midwest. She earned degrees at the University of Leeds and Iowa State University. Her fiction is layered with longing, memory, and the spaces in between. The personal is not just political—it's geographical. Subjects Studied: Media and Performance Studies Creative Writing Institutions Attended: University of Leeds Iowa State University Selected Work: The Lucky Ones Asha Thanki: New Stories from the Midwest Lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota Asha Thanki was raised in the US in a family that chooses privacy over profile. But her work speaks volumes about inheritance, invisibility, and grief. She graduated from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service and is currently pursuing an MFA at the University of Minnesota. Her debut novel marks her as a sharp observer of displacement and girlhood in middle America. Subjects Studied: Culture and Politics Creative Writing Institutions Attended: Georgetown University University of Minnesota Selected Work: A Thousand Times Before TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!


Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad faces criticism for 'Nazi fascist' propaganda
Image credits: Instagram/americaneagle Actress Sydney Sweeney has quickly become the perfect American sweetheart with her beautiful looks, front-page smile and strong opinions. The 27-year-old actress fits the classic stereotype of an 'American' with her blue eyes, blonde hair and bold persona. With her much-applauded acting skills and innovatively curated PR activities like selling soaps made of her actual bathwater, the actress has capitalised on her increasing stardom and thus, so have brands. Recently, American Eagle, a clothing and accessories brand that has been functioning since 1977, released an ad with the actress as the lead. The ad begins with her successfully repairing her car with the camera panning to her back, where she slides her hands over her jeans and moves on to sit in the car and leave. The caption for the ad is one single sentence: "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" Additionally, the brand also shared a video of the actress on Instagram where she approaches a billboard of the brand and paints over it, while striking out the word 'genes' and writing 'jeans'. In its entirety, the statement by the brand makes for many meanings and not only that of good jeans, but also good "American" genes. While the campaign may have worked to give a 4% jump to the company's shares as of Thursday, it has surely brought its social media goodwill down by a notch. Many took to social media to address the message of the ad and classify it as 'Nazi Fascist' propaganda. Why so? Find out below! Netizens react to American Eagle's new ad Image credits: X Well, the proclamation of Sweeney's classic "white" appearance and genes as good, caused much uproar online for being not only a 'Nazi fascist' propaganda but also 'racist'. As per a report from Salon, the phrase "Great Genes" has been used historically to celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness. Even for people who are unaware of its origin, the brand's message is quite clear and offensive. "Should we be surprised that a brand name is literally American Eagle is making fascist propaganda like this? Probably not, but its still really shocking like a blonde haired blue eyed white woman is talking about her good genes, like that is Nazi propaganda," said a woman in a TikTok video that is going viral on the internet. Many took to X to share their views, writing, "The Sydney Sweeney American Eagle jeans ad is NAZI propaganda, and you're a fascist if you don't agree," and "They could've easily gotten a beautiful black women to do this ad but they got a yt women to do it instead..." Some even called for the brand to take back the ads, "american eagle needs to delete those sydney sweeney ads. they are genuinely scary." Neither Sweeney nor the brand have made any comments about the backlash on the campaign yet.