Steak 'n Shake, the American burger chain founded in 1934, announced on Aug. 30 that it now considers itself a Bitcoin company, more than 15 months after it began accepting cryptocurrency at its restaurants. The company said that from the start of Bitcoin payments it had produced the best same-store sales in the fast-food industry, credited Bitcoin enthusiasts for driving business, and said higher revenue and cost savings had supported reinvestment in food quality. Biglari Holdings Inc., its parent, reported a 13.8% increase in same-store sales for domestic company-operated and franchise-partner-operated restaurants in the second quarter of 2026, with restaurant-segment pretax operating earnings of $6.3 million, up from $3.7 million a year earlier. Payments run over the Bitcoin Lightning Network and are routed into a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve rather than converted to dollars; on Oct. 31, 2025, the chain said it became the first major U.S. restaurant chain to establish such a reserve and linked a 15% same-store sales rise to crypto-friendly customers. It expanded Bitcoin exposure by $10 million and then $5 million in January 2026, and beginning March 21, 2026, hourly employees at company-operated restaurants are set to receive a $0.21 Bitcoin bonus per hour worked after two-year vesting. The push sits within Sardar Biglari’s turnaround focus on efficiency and menu quality and a still-limited retail trend toward crypto payments, while volatility and regulatory uncertainty remain risks for wider industry adoption.