STEAK 'N SHAKE
Fueling the Next Era of Fast Food with Bitcoin Loyalty
ALL CASE STUDIES
PROBLEM
High payment processing fees from traditional credit/debit cards (often 2-3% or more per sale),
which eats into slim profit margins.
SOLUTION & RESULTS
By switching to Bitcoin via Lightning Network (a layer-2 solution for fast, near-instant, and extremely low-cost transactions), they reported slashing those fees by nearly 50% when customers paid with BTC. This was highlighted by COO Dan Edwards at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference, where he noted Bitcoin is "faster than credit cards" and directly saves on processing costs.
This wasn't just about cost-cutting—it created a positive feedback loop:
- Lower fees improved margins and freed up capital.
- The novelty and appeal to Bitcoin enthusiasts (a growing, loyal customer base) boosted same-store sales (reported increases of 10-15% in quarters following the launch, with some attributing it partly to bitcoin adoption).
- They directed all customer BTC payments into a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) starting in late 2025 (announced October 31, 2025), rather than converting to fiat—building corporate Bitcoin holdings (e.g., adding $10M in BTC exposure by January 2026) as a hedge and long-term value store.
- This "self-sustaining system" (as they described it) turned payments into treasury growth, which in turn funded upgrades like better ingredients (e.g., beef tallow fries) and marketing, further driving sales.
It was framed as a practical business upgrade rather than pure speculation—tackling real pain points like fee burdens while tapping into Bitcoin's efficiency and community for growth.
The move paid off, with executives calling it a "game changer" for sales and efficiency.
35%
INCREASE IN WEBSITE TRAFFIC
25%
BOOST IN SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS
15%
UPLIFT IN PRODUCT SALES
