Steak ’n Shake announced the launch of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR), becoming the first major restaurant chain to implement such an initiative.
Steak n Shake is announcing the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. All payments received in Bitcoin will be placed in our SBR. 🚀
We are donating 210 sats from every Bitcoin meal we sell to Open Sats Initiative, Inc. over the next 12 months. 🧡
Make your Bitcoin…
— Steak 'n Shake (@SteaknShake) October 31, 2025
According to the company, all payments made in Bitcoin will be directed into its Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
As part of the program, Steak ’n Shake plans to donate 210 satoshis from every Bitcoin Meal sold over the next year to the Open Sats Initiative, Inc., a nonprofit organization that supports open-source Bitcoin development.
The company also stated that customers who purchase a Bitcoin Steakburger and register their meal through the Fold App will receive $5 in Bitcoin, with redemption details printed on their receipts.
The announcement follows a recent quarter in which Steak ’n Shake reported a 15% increase in same-store sales. The company did not specify whether the growth was directly related to its Bitcoin initiatives.
At the Bitcoin 2025 Conference, Steak ’n Shake executive Dan Edwards discussed the adoption of Bitcoin payments via the Lightning Network.
Edwards reported that transaction activity surpassed initial projections, with approximately one out of every 500 Bitcoin transactions worldwide taking place at Steak ’n Shake on the day of launch.
He added that accepting Bitcoin has reduced processing fees by roughly 50%, characterizing the shift as a practical improvement to the payment system rather than a promotional effort.
Edwards added that the company observed changes in customer activity following the implementation. “We’ve seen a sustained spike since adding Bitcoin,” he said.
Edwards also referenced plans for future technological development at the company. “We’re not done. We’re investing in cyber chefs, autonomous drives, AI tech — and we need engineers to help us build it,” he said.