Steak ‘n Shake, the American fast food chain, has officially announced that it will start accepting Bitcoin as a payment option at all of its restaurants across the United States, effective May 16.
The announcement was made on May 9 through a post on social media platform X, where the company expressed its enthusiasm for embracing cryptocurrency with the statement: “The movement is just beginning,” playfully signing the message as “Steaktoshi.”
This decision follows a wave of anticipation that began in March when the company engaged its followers with the question, “Should Steak ‘n Shake accept Bitcoin?”
Jack Dorsey Enthusiastically Supports Steak ‘n Shake’s Bitcoin Initiative
The related post quickly gained momentum within the crypto community, drawing an enthusiastic endorsement from Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and a prominent advocate for Bitcoin.
Since that moment, Steak ‘n Shake has intensified its Bitcoin-oriented marketing efforts, including Tesla giveaways and intriguing social media content to generate excitement for the upcoming launch.
With this nationwide acceptance of Bitcoin, Steak ‘n Shake joins the ranks of a select few restaurant chains in the U.S. that are transitioning from trial periods to widespread adoption of cryptocurrency payments.
The new payment method will be accessible to approximately 100 million customers throughout the country.
This development places Steak ‘n Shake alongside a growing number of fast food brands that are venturing into the world of digital currencies. Chipotle, for instance, began accepting around 100 different cryptocurrencies via Flexa in 2022, which includes Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana.
In addition, Subway has been exploring crypto payment options since 2013, and McDonald’s has started accepting Bitcoin in Lugano, Switzerland.
Companies like KFC and Burger King have also experimented with crypto initiatives in various regions, while Pizza Hut allows Bitcoin transactions in El Salvador, where the cryptocurrency is recognized as legal tender.
Steak n Shake accepting Bitcoin payments at all locations starting May 16, making the cryptocurrency available to our more than 100 million customers. The movement is just beginning….
—Steaktoshi pic.twitter.com/1SGMifDZep
— Steak ‘n Shake (@SteaknShake) May 9, 2025
The connection between Bitcoin and fast food dates back to the cryptocurrency’s inception.
The first known transaction using Bitcoin took place in 2010 when Laszlo Hanyecz purchased two pizzas for 10,000 BTC, an event that has since been commemorated as “Bitcoin Pizza Day.”
By accepting Bitcoin, Steak ‘n Shake is helping to keep that legacy alive with a contemporary approach to digital payments.
The Expanding Influence of Payments Companies in the Crypto Sphere
Recently, the crypto payments platform Mesh announced its integration with Apple Pay, enabling merchants to accept cryptocurrency payments through this popular payment method.
Mesh’s collaboration with Apple Pay aligns with the ongoing trend of payments companies exploring opportunities in the digital asset space.
Global payments behemoth Stripe also revealed plans to develop a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin aimed at businesses operating outside the United States, U.K., and Europe after receiving regulatory approval to acquire Bridge, a stablecoin payments network designed to compete with traditional banking systems and SWIFT transfers.
Additionally, Jack Dorsey has publicly encouraged Signal Messenger to integrate Bitcoin for peer-to-peer transactions, a sentiment echoed by David Marcus, former president of PayPal and current CEO of Lightspark, who advocated for all non-transactional applications to connect with Bitcoin.
In April, the Singapore-based payments company Triple-A announced intentions to support PayPal’s stablecoin in its list of tokens available for customer payments.
Even PayPal itself has ventured into the cryptocurrency space, launching its own stablecoin and providing yield incentives to holders.
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