Fast-food giant Steak ‘n Shake debuts Bitcoin payments via Lightning Network

Steak ‘n Shake, the American fast-food chain best known for its signature steakburgers and hand-dipped shakes, has officially accepted Bitcoin as a form of payment across all its US locations starting today.

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Customers can now complete transactions by scanning a QR code with a Lightning Network-enabled wallet on their mobile devices. Receipts display amounts in both Satoshi (SAT) and fiat currency, according to footage shared by X user Ord Deutscher.

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Some customers shared that they received a commemorative Bitcoin coin at checkout for being among the first customers to pay with Bitcoin. Feedback from customers indicates that the payment process was generally smooth.

The debut follows the company’s May 8 announcement, which came after a March social media poll asking followers about potential Bitcoin acceptance. The query attracted the attention of many crypto enthusiasts, including Block CEO Jack Dorsey, who endorsed the initiative.

Since then, the company has steadily built momentum through Bitcoin-themed marketing, Tesla giveaways, and a stream of cryptic social media hints, all pointing toward its embrace of digital payments.

Chain-wide adoption

A legacy American favorite that generations have grown up with, Steak ‘n Shake’s embrace of Bitcoin may not be the first, but it’s still a big deal, especially with a nationwide rollout.

Very few major food service brands have committed to crypto at this scale. So far, mainstream adoption in fast food has remained fragmented and mostly experimental.

Global players like Subway, Burger King, and Chipotle have dabbled with crypto payments, either with Bitcoin or other digital assets, but efforts have been limited to select locations.

That said, chain-wide adoption could give Steak ‘n Shake an edge among digitally native consumers and crypto advocates, especially at a time when crypto is increasingly gaining mainstream interest.

The launch comes just days before Bitcoin Pizza Day, when a programmer paid 10,000 BTC for two pizzas in 2010 in the first-ever Bitcoin transaction.