Brazilian Clija Chait, 34, found herself in the eye of the storm after it was revealed that her company, Zero2One, will operate the Tesla Diner, a drive-in being remodeled for the electric era.
Living in the U.S. since 2016, she is married to Bill Chait, a big name in California’s culinary scene, and is a business partner in the company. The other partner in the venture is chef André Greenspan, a cheese expert.
But the dream of being associated with an automotive giant leading the electric mobility race started to turn into a nightmare.
The trio’s involvement with the Tesla Diner predates Musk’s appointment to the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), when the billionaire made unpopular decisions that sparked public anger.
Now, the Brazilian watches the protests against Tesla with concern. In California, sales of the Tesla 3 have dropped by 36%.
Her husband was even called a Nazi on social media, despite Chait’s Jewish background. The irrationality and tone of the attacks led Clija to step away from Instagram.
"I can’t stand seeing comments from people who wish us dead, bankrupt, and hope our projects fail," she says.
Clija already anticipates what might happen at the grand opening of the Tesla Diner, expected in the coming months. "People are on edge. Many disagree with what’s going on and generalize. These people want to destroy everything linked to this administration."
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