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Leveraging Fold’s infrastructure, Steak n Shake will pay staff a bonus of $0.21 for every hour worked, paid in Bitcoin, which will vest after two years. The vesting period indicates that workers will need to stay on the job for two years before they can collect the accumulated BTC bonus. The restaurant said in a Wednesday post on X that the new policy applies to employees at all company-operated locations beginning March 1.
At $0.21 per hour, a worker at the fast food chain working 40 hours a week could earn as much as $437 in BTC per year based on a standard 52-week schedule — roughly 0.005 BTC at current market prices.
The BTC bonus program is Steak ‘n Shake’s latest move in a wider embrace of the maiden crypto that kicked off in mid-May 2025, when it began accepting BTC payments through the Lightning Network across its U.S. restaurant network, a move the firm says has resulted in stronger performance.
The launch wasnt’t just a marketing move. The company previously reported that the Bitcoin integration reduced card processing fees by 50% while enabling the restaurant to attract a younger customer base. Notably, same-store sales increased dramatically in the second quarter of 2025 since introducing BTC payments.
 
Since the rollout, the firm fully immersed itself in the Bitcoin world, going so far as to launch a Bitcoin-themed burger last October, complete with a BTC logo stamped on the top bun.
Steak ‘n Shake announced last year that it would put all payments made in BTC in its newly formed strategic Bitcoin reserve. Last week, the company announced the addition of $10 million worth of Bitcoin to that reserve.
According to Bitcoin Treasuries data, nearly 200 companies now hold roughly 1.13 million BTC on their balance sheets, albeit Steak ‘n Shake’s $10 million cache remains modest compared to top holders like Michael Saylor’s Strategy.