American fast-food chain Steak 'n Shake has recently taken action—this week, they announced a $10 million investment in Bitcoin, officially adding BTC to their balance sheet. This is not a sudden whim, but a natural outcome of their crypto strategy over the past eight months.

Interestingly, they started deploying the Lightning Network across all US stores from May 2025 to accept Bitcoin payments. Their initial ideas were twofold: eliminate the annoying credit card fees and attract young crypto users. The strategy proved effective—second-quarter same-store sales increased by over 10% year-over-year, and customers paying with Bitcoin saved about 50% on transaction fees.

They purchased approximately 105 BTC (based on current prices). While this amount is modest compared to the Bitcoin reserves of large publicly traded companies, it reflects an intriguing trend: more and more enterprises are making real investments in Bitcoin. For Steak 'n Shake, the revenue from payments flows into a reserve fund, and the stored Bitcoin is used to upgrade raw materials and renovate stores, creating a self-sustaining cycle without raising menu prices. This self-reinforcing model might inspire more traditional companies.