How Steak ’n Shake added Bitcoin without rebuilding every checkout flow.
Steak ’n Shake launched Bitcoin payments across 393 U.S. locations in May 2025 using Speed’s Lightning infrastructure across kiosks, drive-throughs and other ordering channels.
The implementation
Kiosks
Speed APIs added Lightning QR payments to self-service kiosks. Speed later announced a direct integration with Acrelec, whose kiosk/POS technology is used in the Steak ’n Shake deployment.
Drive-through
Speed built a custom browser-based POS flow for drive-through staff. Its public case study says the setup required no additional hardware or third-party app.
Reporting
Speed says its dashboard provided transaction visibility and custom reporting fields designed around Steak ’n Shake’s finance requirements.
The reported economics
Speed’s case study quotes Steak ’n Shake COO Dan Edwards reporting a 50% reduction in processing fees compared with credit-card payments after Bitcoin adoption. That is a reported result from this specific deployment—not a promise that another restaurant will achieve the same savings.
Why the case matters
The important lesson for a smaller merchant is not “copy a 393-store integration.” It is that the order/POS system and the Bitcoin payment rail do not have to be the same product. A merchant can start with a browser or QR payment layer and move toward deeper integration only if transaction volume justifies it.
Acrelec integration
Speed announced in November 2025 that it had integrated Bitcoin and stablecoin payments into Acrelec kiosks and POS systems, allowing compatible merchants to activate the payment option inside existing self-service screens without new payment hardware.
Sources: Speed Steak ’n Shake case study, Speed rollout announcement, Speed + Acrelec integration.
The merchant takeaway
Bitcoin acceptance can be layered into existing commerce infrastructure instead of forcing a POS replacement. The implementation depth should match the merchant’s volume and operational needs.
See the existing-POS playbook →