Key Takeaways
- Steak 'n Shake will accept Bitcoin at all U.S. locations starting May 16.
- The fast food chain teased the move in March with Bitcoin-themed marketing.
- Most fast food chains have only trialed Bitcoin payments, making this rollout unusual in scale.
Starting May 16, Steak ‘n Shake will begin accepting Bitcoin at every U.S. location, giving its more than 100 million customers the option to pay in BTC.
The fast food chain announced the move on Thursday with the message:
The movement is just beginning.
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….
— Steak 'n Shake (@SteaknShake) May 9, 2025
—Steaktoshi pic.twitter.com/1SGMifDZep
Social media campaign
The decision follows weeks of social media hints.
In March, the company asked followers if it should accept Bitcoin, prompting replies from high-profile figures like Jack Dorsey.
Since then, Steak ‘n Shake has posted Bitcoin-themed content, including a Mars-bound cargo ship stamped with the Bitcoin logo, referencing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk.
Ambitious retail test
Unlike high-margin retailers, fast food chains operate on tight profit margins, making this one of the most ambitious real-world tests of Bitcoin’s functionality in high-volume retail.
Comparison with other chains
This rollout makes Steak ‘n Shake one of the few major U.S. restaurant chains to fully adopt Bitcoin.
Others, such as Starbucks and Chipotle, have previously supported BTC through payment processors that automatically convert it to fiat currency, but those implementations were limited in scope.
Historical context
Subway tested Bitcoin payments at select locations as early as 2013, and some franchises reintroduced the option later.
Outside the U.S., Pizza Hut in El Salvador and Burger King in Venezuela briefly experimented with Bitcoin, but those cases were either short-lived or confined to specific regions.
Significance of the move
Steak ‘n Shake’s move stands out as a rare nationwide adoption in the U.S. fast food sector.
