Steak ’n Shake will pay hourly employees a Bitcoin bonus of $0.21 per worked hour at company-operated locations starting March 1, aiming to improve retention and appeal to younger workers, the company announced in an X post. The bonus carries a two-year vesting period and applies to hours worked at company-run restaurants.
At $0.21 per hour, a 40-hour workweek yields about $8.40 weekly and roughly $437 annually. The program is supported by Fold and mirrors the chain’s broader push into crypto payments.
Steak ’n Shake began accepting Bitcoin across its restaurant network in May 2025, stated, and disclosed holding about $10 million in Bitcoin while saying same-store sales have “risen dramatically”. The company did not specify whether those holdings came from price gains, customer payments, or new purchases.
Generational attitudes may factor into the move; a survey cited higher crypto trust among younger groups, and industry data show roughly 40% of restaurant workers are under 25 and 60% are under 35, as noted in a recent demographics brief (Ed. note: younger staff represent a sizable portion of the workforce).
Other firms have expanded crypto payment options, and PayPal announced merchant crypto checkout features. Data from BitcoinTreasuries.NET shows 194 public companies hold about 1.13 million Bitcoin.
