The American long-established restaurant chain "Steak & Shake" is set to introduce Bitcoin Settlement at 400 locations in the United States.

Table of Contents* 1. Major U.S. Restaurant Chain to Adopt Bitcoin Settlement

• 2. Nationwide Attention on Bitcoin Settlement Implementation Strategy

• 2.1. Announcement of the introduction of BTC Settlement that attracted attention
• 2.2. Introduction Process of Bitcoin Settlement
• 2.3. Develop new customer segments with Bitcoin Settlement

• 3. The Effects of Introducing BTC Settlement in the Fast Food Industry
• 4. Expectations in the Industry with the Introduction of Bitcoin Settlement

• 4.1. Response to the Introduction of Bitcoin Settlement
• 4.2. Regulatory relaxation to support the expansion of Bitcoin real demand

Major U.S. Restaurant Chain to Adopt Bitcoin Settlement

The American fast-food chain "Steak 'n Shake" announced on its official X (formerly Twitter) that it will introduce Bitcoin (BTC) Settlement at all approximately 400 locations across the country on May 9, 2025.

Steak 'n Shake was founded in 1934 (Headquarters: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA) and is an established fast food chain with locations across the United States.

According to the company's announcement, they plan to accept payments in Bitcoin starting May 16, allowing Steak & Shake customers across the country to pay for hamburgers and milkshakes with BTC.

The implementation of cryptocurrency (digital asset) settlement across all stores in the fast food industry is extremely rare, and Steak 'n Shake stated in their post that "this movement has just begun," emphasizing their eagerness to adopt cryptocurrency settlement.

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

Steak & Shake will introduce Bitcoin Settlement at all locations starting May 16, providing over 100 million customers with the opportunity to use cryptocurrency.

This movement has just begun.

National Attention on Bitcoin Settlement Implementation Strategy

Announcement of the introduction of BTC Settlement that has generated buzz

Steak & Shake asked on their official X account in March this year, "Should Steak & Shake introduce Bitcoin Settlement?" and received a large response from Bitcoin supporters.

Former Twitter CEO and CEO of the payment company Block, Jack Dorsey, also responded to this post with "Yes" and has received supportive voices, as the company has been actively engaging with the cryptocurrency community for some time.

Steak & Shake has been engaging in playful promotions, such as posting images of spaceships adorned with the Bitcoin logo, steadily building up the buzz leading to this official announcement.

Bitcoin Settlement introduction process

The specific mechanism of the Bitcoin settlement introduced this time has not been clarified by the company, but in the industry, the utilization of the "Lightning Network" to speed up Bitcoin settlement processing and the automatic conversion of cryptocurrencies to fiat currency by payment service providers are anticipated.

The American Mexican food chain "Chipotle" partnered with the digital settlement company "Flexa" in 2022 to introduce about 90 types of cryptocurrency payments, including Bitcoin. The stores operate on a system that instantly converts cryptocurrency into fiat currency.

Steak & Shake is expected to implement a payment system that minimizes price volatility risk through collaboration with settlement infrastructure companies, allowing customers to use it without discomfort.

Bitcoin Settlementで新たな顧客層を開拓

The background behind Steak & Shake's decision to introduce Bitcoin Settlement is the expectation of acquiring new customers and improving store operation efficiency.

If you can appeal to the younger generation who prefer payments in virtual currencies and customers accustomed to digital settlements, there is a possibility that new visitors will increase.

In addition, it is pointed out that the fees for cryptocurrency settlement may be lower compared to credit card fees, which could lead to a reduction in settlement costs in the long term.

One of the advantages is the fast Settlement processing, especially when using the Lightning Network, which results in almost no wait time for Settlement completion, thereby contributing to improved register turnover rates at fast food restaurants.

It is believed that beyond the "movement" the company advocates, there is also a focus on enhancing its brand image.

By actively demonstrating a willingness to adopt the latest technologies, there seems to be an intention to enhance its reputation as an "advanced company adapted to the times," particularly among the younger generation.

The Effects of Introducing BTC Settlement in the Fast Food Industry

This move has become positive news for the entire industry, leading to the expansion of actual demand for cryptocurrency.

The nationwide introduction of Steak & Shake is seen as a "serious initiative that goes beyond the pilot (demonstration experiment)," and is regarded as a symbolic event that expands the everyday use of Bitcoin.

If Bitcoin Settlement is implemented in fast food operations like Steak & Shake, there is a possibility to verify in a real environment the remittance speed, fees, and the ability to cope with the expansion of usage scale.

Bitcoin has been regarded in recent years as "digital gold" for the purpose of value preservation, but Mr. Dorsey stated in April this year that "if Bitcoin is not used as a means of daily payments, it will become obsolete."

The introduction of settlement by Steak & Shake embodies the original use of Bitcoin (peer-to-peer electronic cash) and has been met with great expectations and welcome from the cryptocurrency industry.

Expectations in the Industry with the Introduction of Bitcoin Settlement

Response to the introduction of Bitcoin Settlement

This announcement has also spread to the cryptocurrency community and the media, becoming a major topic of discussion.

The Washington Post has published an article analyzing a series of moves by Steak 'n Shake as part of a "marketing strategy aimed at cryptocurrency advocates (Trump supporters)."

Steak 'n Shake is launching a unique campaign, referring to their new policy of cooking French fries in beef tallow as the "RFK method" (named after Robert F. Kennedy Jr.), which is believed to aim at attracting a wide range of customers, including Bitcoin supporters.

Additionally, a Bitcoin supporter has evaluated on X that this is "the largest case of actual Bitcoin adoption in recent years," and there has been a welcoming response from the cryptocurrency community.

This is probably the biggest MoE adoption story Bitcoin has had in years

Steak 'n Shake 393 locations, primary in the midwest and south pic.twitter.com/oxPyNhfimf

— Pledditor (@Pledditor) May 9, 2025

This is probably one of the largest Bitcoin adoption cases in recent years.

The target is mainly the 393 locations of "Steak 'n Shake" located in the Midwest and South.

Deregulation to support the expansion of real demand for bitcoin

The entire cryptocurrency industry is seeing a trend towards regulatory relaxation.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) published new guidance on May 7, clarifying that U.S. banks can provide custody services and trading services for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

The simultaneous shift in attitude by financial authorities and the full-scale introduction of Bitcoin settlement by major restaurant chains can be considered a positive sign for the market.

At the time of writing the article, the Bitcoin price is in the record high range of "1 BTC = 100,000 dollars (about 14.5 million yen)", and investors' bullish stance can be seen.

If Steak 'n Shake's efforts are successful, there is a possibility that cryptocurrency Settlement will expand to other restaurant chains and retail businesses.

There are voices saying that "this success will chain-reactively encourage the entry of other companies," and it is being noted as an opportunity for Bitcoin's presence in the real world to further increase.

*The price is based on the exchange rate at the time of writing (1 dollar = 145.28 yen).

Latest cryptocurrency news here

Source: Steak ’n Shake Official X Post

Writing and translation: BITTIMES Editorial Department

Thumbnail: AI-generated image