Steak ‘n Shake is bringing Bitcoin to the burger counter. The iconic American fast-food chain announced it will begin accepting BTC at all U.S. locations starting May 16, giving over 100 million customers the option to pay for everything from steakburgers to milkshakes using the world’s leading cryptocurrency.
The move follows a wave of crypto-curious activity from the brand earlier this year. In March, Steak ‘n Shake stirred speculation with a playful social media post asking whether it should start accepting Bitcoin—a tweet that drew endorsement from former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and triggered a flurry of online buzz. Now, the brand is going all in, declaring on X: “The movement is just beginning.”
Unlike luxury retailers or e-commerce platforms that have dipped into digital assets, Steak ‘n Shake’s foray into crypto payments represents something more ambitious—a high-frequency, low-margin use case that could serve as a real-world test for Bitcoin’s potential as everyday money.
With its full nationwide rollout, Steak ‘n Shake positions itself as one of the first major fast-food chains to put Bitcoin to the test at scale—potentially setting a precedent for others in the industry to follow.
Steak ‘n Shake Taps Bitcoin Hype Culture
Steak ‘n Shake’s leap into crypto didn’t happen overnight—it began with a single tweet: “Should Steak ‘n Shake accept Bitcoin?” The question sparked widespread engagement in the crypto community and earned a high-profile nod from Jack Dorsey.
Since then, the brand has cultivated a crypto-savvy online persona, weaving in pop culture references and Bitcoin symbolism throughout its marketing. Thursday’s announcement marks the culmination of that strategy—turning social speculation into a full-scale payments rollout.
Ahead of the launch, the brand leaned into crypto’s cultural momentum. One viral post featured a Mars-bound cargo ship stamped with the BTC logo—an overt nod to Elon Musk and the meme-fueled energy that often surrounds the crypto space. The message was clear: Steak ‘n Shake isn’t just accepting Bitcoin; it’s embracing the culture that comes with it.
A New Chapter in Bitcoin Payment Experiments
Steak ‘n Shake’s upcoming rollout places it in a long—but inconsistent—lineage of food and beverage brands that have experimented with Bitcoin over the past decade. While the idea of buying burgers with BTC has long captured the imagination, few companies have taken the concept beyond small pilots or niche offerings.
Starbucks made headlines in 2021 through a partnership with Bakkt, allowing users to reload app wallets with Bitcoin—though the crypto was instantly converted to fiat. Chipotle followed in 2022 by teaming up with Flexa to accept over 90 cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH, and SOL. Like Starbucks, Chipotle’s system also settled payments in dollars at the point of sale.
Subway—one of the first fast-food brands to experiment with Bitcoin in 2013—never implemented the system chainwide. While select locations in crypto-forward cities have resumed BTC payments in recent years, a unified rollout never materialized.
Globally, adoption has taken deeper root in regions facing currency instability or with broader crypto acceptance. With Steak ‘n Shake now moving forward with a nationwide launch, the U.S. fast-food sector may finally be warming up to Bitcoin—not just as a novelty, but as a viable, scalable payment method.
Quick Facts
- Steak ‘n Shake will begin accepting Bitcoin at all U.S. locations starting May 16, 2025.
- The rollout will reach more than 100 million customers across the entire national chain.
- This marks one of the first full-scale Bitcoin integrations in the U.S. fast-food sector.
- The move follows months of crypto-themed marketing and a public nod from Jack Dorsey.
