What is the business case for Tesla Diners? I can only think of Tesla/EV drivers on road trip looking for a place along their route to kill time while recharging. That can't be that big enough of a market.
silisili•1h ago
Do most charging stations even have enough charging spots to generate enough foot traffic to support a restaurant? Most restaurants near me have 50-100 parking spots. Even the tiny ones ran by a single person tend to have 8-10.
jordanb•1h ago
I hear themed restaurants are going to be big in the 2000s. Did you see Pulp Fiction? Gotta get on that trend early.
atonse•1h ago
No idea... We've been perfectly happy to go to the Wawa-based Superchargers. They're clean, bright, and have a decent selection of things you'd stop for during a road trip.
I think the longest we've spent at a Supercharger was maybe 20 mins. The charge rates really drop (like charging any battery), so it often makes more sense to just stop a couple times with a low battery and add another 100 miles of range in < 5-10 mins.
But I would hope that Tesla has much better data on their users to be able to determine how long people would stop, and where.
bryanlarsen•1h ago
Yeah, the Wawa supercharger is an essential stop. There aren't any chargers in Lake Superior provincial park so you pretty much always have to stop in Wawa when driving the Trans-Canada across Ontario. It'll likely be a longer charge for that reason, so you should check out the Goose statue or cross the road to Timmy's while you wait.
toomuchtodo•1h ago
Vanity.
xnx•1h ago
Plenty of brands have "flagship stores" that are used as marketing even if the location is not net profitable.
flowerthoughts•33m ago
It looks like they may have used the sheet metal from the cybertruck to build it, so perhaps it was a way to make use of a stockpile of steel? And real estate is a good investment. I'm sure there's a tax subsidy in here somewhere too.
CharlesW•1h ago
"Burn down the banana stand? You said there was money in it!" — Michael Bluth
leetharris•1h ago
Typical blog spam slop from one of the worst offending sites.
"Tesla Diner celebrity chef Eric Greenspan told Eater that the menu was scaled down due to unprecedented demand"
This is because there have been non-stop lines and demand. They are simplifying so they can get food to everyone.
dumbmrblah•1h ago
I agree. I dislike Elon as much as the next guy, but this seems like a pretty viable business.
eighthourblink•51m ago
Agree. Also how the article (well really the people) were complaining about long lines. I mean, is that not usually the case when something opens for the first time?
sybercecurity•1h ago
silisili•1h ago
jordanb•1h ago
atonse•1h ago
I think the longest we've spent at a Supercharger was maybe 20 mins. The charge rates really drop (like charging any battery), so it often makes more sense to just stop a couple times with a low battery and add another 100 miles of range in < 5-10 mins.
But I would hope that Tesla has much better data on their users to be able to determine how long people would stop, and where.
bryanlarsen•1h ago
toomuchtodo•1h ago
xnx•1h ago
flowerthoughts•33m ago