US fast-food restaurant chain Steak ’n Shake plans to offer Bitcoin bonuses to hourly employees at company-operated locations, signaling a move to use digital assets as a retention tool.
In an X post on Wednesday, the company said hourly employees will be able to collect a Bitcoin (BTC) bonus of $0.21 per worked hour starting March 1, with a two-year vesting period.
At $0.21 per hour, a full-time employee working 40 hours a week would earn about $8.40 in Bitcoin per week, or $437 per year based on a standard 52-week schedule. The program is supported by the Fold, a Bitcoin rewards and payments company.
The move also taps into a generational shift in crypto sentiment. A recent survey from crypto exchange OKX found that 40% of Gen Z and 41% of millennials have high trust in crypto platforms, compared with just 9% of baby boomers.
According to an April 2025 US employee demographics data brief from the National Restaurant Association, about 40% of restaurant and foodservice workers are under 25, and 60% are under 35.
Steak ’n Shake has been accepting Bitcoin payments across its restaurant network since May 2025, a move the company says has translated into stronger performance.
On Friday, it disclosed holding about $10 million in Bitcoin, noting that same-store sales have “risen dramatically” since introducing BTC payments, though it did not specify whether its holdings grew through price gains, customer payments or new crypto purchases.
Related: Central banks vs Bitcoin: Who deserves the public’s trust?
Companies warm to accepting bitcoin
Steak ’n Shake follows other companies that moved to accept Bitcoin for payments in 2025.
In May, Block Inc. said it would begin rolling out BTC payments on its Square point-of-sale system. The feature allows merchants to accept Bitcoin using existing Square hardware via the Lightning Network, allowing sellers to either hold BTC or automatically convert it to fiat at checkout, according to CEO Jack Dorsey.
Other payment providers have taken similar steps. In July 2025, PayPal said it would allow merchants to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies through its Pay with Crypto checkout feature, with payments converted into fiat or stablecoins at the point of sale.
The number of companies holding Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset also increased last year. According to BitcoinTreasuries.NET data, 194 public companies hold a total of 1.13 million Bitcoin on their balance sheets.
Magazine: Davinci Jeremie bought Bitcoin at $1… but $100K BTC doesn’t excite him
