Elon Musk Plans To Bring Back The Classic Carhop In A Modern Way

"Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA," Elon Musk wrote in a tweet. That was back in 2018, and since then, the Tesla founder seemed to have moved on to bigger and more outrageous plans, from colonizing Mars to chipping our brains so we can live alongside AI. Musk, however, never apparently shelved the drive-in restaurant idea. What Now Los Angeles reports that Tesla recently submitted documents to the Los Angeles Planning Department proposing a large-scale development that includes a 9,300 square-foot restaurant and drive-in movie theater with electric vehicle charging stations.

According to Tesmanian, the 0.565-acre project site is located at 7001 Santa Monica Boulevard, where restaurant Shakey's Pizza currently stands. The Shakey's Pizza will be replaced by a two-level restaurant featuring outdoor and rooftop seating and diners will be treated to a view of either of the two movie screens on the property from both the rooftop and the parking spots.

George Blakeship, former Tesla vice president of store design and development, explained to Forbes that part of owning a Tesla means finding ways to kill time while it charges. That's why Tesla believes the new Supercharger station is the perfect opportunity for business. Instead of drivers having to go off to grab a bite to eat, or sitting in their car and waiting, they'll have convenient access to entertainment and dining.

While Tesla does want its drivers to have the most comfortable charging experience possible, Forbes shares that the company wants the development to function primarily as a charging station, not as a hangout space. The drive-in restaurant setup ensures people are in and out and the parking spots get freed up quickly. Tesmanian adds that the movies shown will actually be 30-minute features, the approximate length of time it takes to charge a Tesla. The drive-in will be open from 7am to 11pm, so once the plans are put into action, local Tesla drivers will have something to look forward to.