Tesla has filed a trademark under restaurant services, which suggests the automaker may be finally working to realize its dream of combining its charging stations with an old-school drive-in restaurant concept. The application is currently waiting to be reviewed.
This isn’t a new idea. As far back as 2018, CEO Elon Musk has said he wants a “retro carhop” where a menu would automatically pop up on a driver’s dash when they parked their car at the restaurant. Roller skates and rock ‘n’ roll would also be included in the package. And these restaurants would, of course, include Tesla charging stations. The company even applied for permits to build this “Supercharger station” in Santa Monica, California.
For the last few years, no work on the project has been done until building applications for said Supercharger station were submitted this year, and the trademark application filed last week. Under the latter, Tesla’s “T” logo would be trademarked for use by “restaurant services, pop-up restaurant services, self-service restaurant services, take-out restaurant services,” according to the application.
While the name “Tesla” may not automatically conjure images of restaurants, the idea of combining a quick-service eating establishment with a charging station makes perfect sense. Consumers need something to do if they are away from home while having to charge their car. Eating a meal is an obvious activity, and many restaurant chains are already partnering with companies to host charging stations in parking lots.
Whether Tesla concocts its own restaurant concept from the ground up or partners with another brand remains to be seen.
