Steak ‘n Shake Adds Bitcoin to Payroll: $0.21 Hourly Bonus for 10,000 Staff

Steak ‘n Shake is moving its Bitcoin strategy from the cash register to the paycheck. Starting March 1, the 91-year-old burger chain will issue a Bitcoin bonus of $0.21 for every hour worked to all hourly employees at company-operated locations. The program covers approximately 10,000 workers and introduces a retention mechanism rarely seen in the service industry: a two-year vesting cliff on the crypto allocations.

The Mechanics: Vesting & Satoshis

The initiative, executed in partnership with bitcoin rewards app Fold, functions as an add-on to standard wages rather than a substitution. Employees accrue the dollar-equivalent of $0.21 in Bitcoin per hour, but custody transfers only after 24 months. At full-time hours (40/week), this amounts to roughly $873 annually in deferred digital compensation. A deliberate structure to combat the high turnover rates plaguing the fast-food sector.

We have created a self-sustaining system, growing same-store sales that grow the [Strategic Bitcoin Reserve].

This payroll update follows a $10 million treasury allocation announced on January 17, where the company committed to funneling Bitcoin-denominated revenue directly into a holding reserve rather than converting to fiat.

Hard Money, Hard Data

The pivot to a “Bitcoin Standard” operational model is backed by tangible performance metrics. Since enabling Lightning Network payments across all U.S. locations in May 2025, Steak ‘n Shake reported an 11% increase in same-store sales for Q2 2025. That momentum accelerated to 15% year-over-year growth in Q3, outperforming legacy competitors like McDonald’s and Taco Bell during the same period.

By integrating the asset into labor costs, the company is effectively betting that Bitcoin’s appreciation will offset the future liability of the unvested bonuses. For the workforce, it turns a minimum-wage role into a speculative investment vehicle.