Bitcoin accepted at fast food chain Steak ’n Shake from May 16

American fast food outlet Steak ‘n Shake has announced it will begin accepting Bitcoin as payment at all locations starting on May 16.

The firm said on X on May 9 that it was making the cryptocurrency available to more than 100 million customers, adding that “the movement is just beginning,” before signing off as “Steaktoshi.” 

“Our goal is to utilize Bitcoin at all locations, including all international units. Each country will announce its own launch date,” Steak ‘n Shake Chief Operations Officer Dan Edwards told Cointelegraph.

The fast food chain initially hinted at accepting Bitcoin (BTC) in March when it posted “Should Steak ‘n Shake accept Bitcoin?” on social media. 

The tweet drew the attention of the crypto community and Bitcoin proponents such as Jack Dorsey, who rapidly replied with a “yes.” 

The firm has built momentum since then with Bitcoin-themed marketing, Tesla promotions, and visual hints on its social media feeds.

Related: How to buy food with Bitcoin?

The acceptance of Bitcoin represents a significant development in mainstream crypto adoption, as few restaurant chains have moved beyond limited pilot programs to full-scale payments.

Cointelegraph reached out to Stake ‘n Shake for more details but did not get an immediate response. 

Stake ‘n Shake will join a growing number of fast food chains that accept crypto payments.

Since 2022, Chipotle has accepted almost 100 different cryptocurrencies via Flexa, including Bitcoin, Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL).

One of the earliest adopters of crypto payments is Subway, which has piloted Bitcoin payments as far back as 2013 at select franchises. 

KFC offered a “Bitcoin Bucket” promotion in Canada in 2018, allowing purchases with BTC, while McDonald's accepts Bitcoin in Lugano, Switzerland, as part of a local crypto initiative.

Burger King accepted crypto gift cards and direct crypto payments in select countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Venezuela. In September, Donald Trump used Bitcoin to buy burgers at a New York City bar. 

Pizza Hut became one of the first mainstream outlets to accept BTC in El Salvador, where it was made legal tender in 2021.

The first-ever Bitcoin transaction was made to buy fast food by Laszlo Hanyecz on May 22, 2010, which later became the famous Bitcoin Pizza Day. He paid 10,000 BTC for two pizzas, worth $40 at the time. Today, those pizzas would be more than a billion dollars.

This article has been updated to include comments from Stake ‘n Shake COO.

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