The chef behind Tesla Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TSLA) high-profile Hollywood diner is leaving the project just months after opening, as the company prepares to overhaul the buzzy, polarizing site into a full-service restaurant, staff say.
Chef Behind Tesla Diner Exits To Launch New Deli
Eric Greenspan, the Los Angeles chef who helped launch Tesla Diner alongside its 80-stall Supercharger station on Santa Monica Boulevard, told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that he is no longer involved and that his exit had been in the works for more than a month.
"I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli," he said in a text message shared with the paper.
Hybrid Drive-In Concept Shifts To Full Service
Workers at the Hollywood location told sources at the daily that management has recently informed them the hybrid walk-up and drive-in operation will convert to a traditional sit-down, full-service restaurant by January, marking the biggest operational shift yet for the retro-futuristic diner and charging hub.
The space, which opened in July at the border of Hollywood and West Hollywood, has drawn both long lines of Tesla fans and protests over CEO Elon Musk's politics and the diner's giant outdoor screens.
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Simplified Menu, Strong Sales And Expansion Plans
Greenspan helped craft the original menu of classic American diner fare, which included burgers, shakes, fried chicken and waffles, tuna melts and other throwbacks, before surging demand forced a rapid simplification. Within weeks, Tesla reduced its offerings to a handful of sandwiches, sides, pies, and shakes to improve speed and consistency.
Tesla has released few performance metrics, but said the diner sold about 50,000 burgers in the third quarter, highlighting the volume the kitchen was handling even with a pared-down menu.
The Hollywood experiment has already prompted Tesla to explore additional locations, including potential diners in Austin and Palo Alto, despite mixed reviews.
Price Action: TSLA closed 1.88% lower at $401.25 on Tuesday, sliding another 0.72% in after-hours trading. It was up 5.79% year-to-date and 18.45% over the year.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that TSLA maintains a stronger price trend over the medium and long terms and a weak trend in the short term, with a poor value ranking. Click here for more performance metrics on the stock and its peers.
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Photo: Josiah True via Shutterstock
