Elon Musk’s Tesla diner is now serving up burgers and futurism in Hollywood. However, patrons noticed the absence of Dogecoin payments, despite his earlier endorsement, turning what could’ve been a crypto milestone into a missed opportunity.
The grand opening of Tesla’s long-hyped “retro-futuristic” diner in Hollywood unfolded Monday afternoon with all the usual Musk theatrics: a 4:20 p.m. unlock time, robots behind popcorn machines, and Cybertruck-shaped trays.
The crowd, which had gathered at the Santa Monica Boulevard diner hours before opening, cheered as Tesla’s chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, unlocked the doors.
For Dogecoin (DOGE) loyalists, the fanfare rang hollow. Despite Musk’s 2022 tweet insisting DOGE payments were coming, the only currency accepted was the old-fashioned kind. When one patron approached a touch screen and placed his order, he followed up with a question: “Can I pay in Dogecoin?”
“Not today,” the diner employee responded. See below.
Why this stings for crypto enthusiasts
Musk’s influence on Dogecoin’s valuation is well-documented; a single tweet from him has sent the memecoin soaring or cratering for years. His latest pivot away from crypto integration, especially at a high-profile venture blending tech and commerce, raises questions about how seriously Tesla takes digital assets.
The diner’s omission of DOGE isn’t just a snub to crypto enthusiasts; it’s a missed chance to normalize cryptocurrency in everyday transactions, something Musk once championed. The Tesla diner, nestled at the intersection of electric vehicles, entertainment, and lifestyle, could have become a high-visibility proving ground for real-world crypto payments.
Instead, the absence of Dogecoin underscores a widening gap between Musk’s rhetoric and implementation, particularly at a time when the digital assets sector is seeking tangible, everyday use cases. Whether this was a delay or a quiet reversal remains unclear, but in the current climate, silence on crypto can speak volumes.
Meanwhile, Musk has already floated plans to expand the diner concept to major cities and Supercharger stops, contingent on its initial success. Whether he’ll keep his word and eventually accept DOGE as a payment remains to be seen.
“‘Not today’ paying with $Doge. Not the answer we where hoping for but better then a flat out no,” another observer noted on X [sic].
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