Steak ‘n Shake Chief MAHA Officer Michael Boes told attendees at the Bitcoin 2026 Conference in Las Vegas that Bitcoin has become a core driver of the chain’s enterprise efficiency, pointing to 2 million new clients, dramatic value reductions, and a sweeping menu overhaul tied on to financial savings from bitcoin funds.
Boes cited how the chain launched its Bitcoin fee platform on Might 16, 2025, by way of the Lightning Community, and the outcomes got here quick. Identical-store gross sales rose 11% quarter over quarter in Q2 2025 and accelerated to fifteen% in Q3 2025, outpacing main rivals together with McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Domino’s.
He referred to as it the very best same-store gross sales development of any restaurant within the trade.
The monetary case for Bitcoin, Boes argued, is easy. When clients pay with Bitcoin as a substitute of a bank card, Steak ‘n Shake saves roughly 50% on processing fees. Traditional credit card processors charge merchants between 2.5% and 3.5% per transaction.
“We’re transferring ahead with bitcoin – the way forward for cash,” Boes mentioned.
Steak ‘n Shake: bitcoin is making their food healthier
Boes said that if every credit card user switched to Bitcoin, the chain would save approximately $6 million annually — funds he said go directly toward upgrading the food.
“Bitcoin is real money made with real energy,” Boes told the audience. “It’s a wholesome forex that enables us to make a more healthy product.”
These upgrades are already underway. Steak ‘n Shake removed microwaves from its kitchens and will transition to 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef across all locations starting June 1.
The company previously switched from seed oils to beef tallow for frying its french fries as part of its alignment with the Make America Healthy Again movement.
On Wednesday, Boes announced two new Bitcoin-themed menu items at the conference: a Bitcoin Milkshake and a Bitcoin Steakburger, both tied to Bitcoin’s mounted provide of 21 million cash.
Steak ‘n Shake has also built a closed-loop Bitcoin economy around its payments strategy. All Bitcoin received from customers goes into the company’s strategic Bitcoin reserve, which has grown to $10 million.
That reserve funds a Bitcoin bonus program for hourly workers — $0.21 per hour labored — that launched March 1. Boes confirmed he additionally accepts Bitcoin as a part of his personal compensation.
“I’m one of the first in the industry to accept bitcoin as a part of my executive compensation package,” Boes mentioned. “I hope that will pave a new way for models of compensation across the industry.”
The chain operates lots of of areas throughout the USA, France, Italy, Portugal, and Monaco.
