Tesla taps ghost kitchen chef Eric Greenspan to run its Hollywood diner and drive-in

Cheese-obsessed local ghost kitchen chef Eric Greenspan will run the upcoming, now politically charged Tesla diner (and drive-in) in Los Angeles, according to Sawyer Merritt, a self-professed Tesla investor who periodically shares news related to Elon Musk’s electric car company on X. The March 26 post says that the yet-to-open project will feature “1950s retro charm” and “dazzling neon lights,” along with the scent of burgers and milkshakes. 

Merritt also confirmed that the property will feature two drive-in movie screens and 75 V4 charging stations—the fastest tier of Tesla’s chargers. Musk himself commented on the post less than an hour after it was published, appearing to confirm the news—or at least not deny its veracity. “It will be cool,” he said. “When’s it opening?” Merritt replied, to no response.

Though a resident of Los Angeles, Greenspan hasn’t run a sit-down restaurant in several years. Instead, he’s turned his focus to delivery-only concepts, a.k.a. ghost kitchens, and New School American, a boutique cheese company that’s used in the burgers at Chi Spacca, one of the city’s best restaurants. His previous concepts include the Foundry on Melrose, the Roof on Wilshire and Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese. He’s also starred in or appeared in several food-related TV shows.

Reporting by The New York Times further uncovered via expired job postings that L.A. restaurant industry veteran Bill Chait will also be involved in the restaurant, which sits at the border of Hollywood and West Hollywood. Chait is the founder of Sprout L.A., the hospitality group behind several high-profile L.A. restaurants, including République, Bestia, Redbird, Vespertine and Destroyer. Though no longer involved with that company, Chait has gone on to open several other L.A. eateries on his own, which have since closed: Tartine Manufactory, Tesse and, most recently, the short-lived Zozo at Maison Midi.

News about the yet-to-open project has been scarce since 2022, when Tesla first submitted building plans to the City of Los Angeles. The company’s billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, first teased the project on Twitter (now X) back in 2018, well before he became an unelected Trump administration official whose decisions, including the mass firing of government workers, have had wide-reaching ramifications for millions of Americans and people overseas. 

Though an exact opening date has yet to be confirmed, the Times reports that more signs of progress are now visible at 7001 West Santa Monica Boulevard, including charging stations installed in the parking lot and unopened furniture inside the dining room.