Steak ‘n Shake, a classic American burger chain, is significantly transforming the experience for its workers, particularly the part-time crew responsible for flipping burgers and serving shakes.
Starting March 1, the company is launching a cool new bonus program: every hourly employee at their company-owned restaurants (about 400 locations across the U.S.) will earn an extra $0.21 worth of Bitcoin for every single hour they work.
The announcement marks a real departure from how quick-service restaurants typically pay their people.
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The bonus runs separately from standard wages, with dollar amounts converted to Bitcoin during each pay cycle. Workers have to stick around for two years before they can touch these digital funds—a deliberate choice aimed at keeping employees from leaving. Restaurant turnover rates topped 70% last year, so holding onto workers matters more than ever.
Michael Chen from Workforce Innovation Group sees multiple angles at play. The program helps in retention while making the brand look forward-thinking. It will also give workers a chance to own cryptocurrency. The company says it will provide education about crypto basics and security practices alongside the compensation.
Navigating Legal Waters
Getting this off the ground won’t be simple. The American rules treat Bitcoin as property, not currency, which means these bonuses will get taxed. Steak ‘n Shake plans to work with a regulated cryptocurrency custodian to handle the bitcoin bonuses and stay compliant with rules.
Workers have had mixed reactions—some are excited about getting into crypto, while others worry about how wildly Bitcoin’s value can swing. Company representatives stress that the bonus adds to regular pay rather than replacing any of it.
This announcement builds on Steak ‘n Shake’s recent crypto experiments. The chain has been testing Bitcoin payments at certain locations over the past few months and apparently keeps some Bitcoin in its corporate accounts. The company has brought in crypto payment processors to handle digital transactions, suggesting this employee program is part of a broader bet on blockchain technology.
