American fast-food chain Steak ‘n Shake has announced its expansion into El Salvador, reinforcing its commitment to the cryptocurrency space after seeing a significant sales boost from accepting Bitcoin.

The company confirmed the move following its participation in the country’s Bitcoin Histórico event, stating in a social media post, “We were honored to be in Bitcoin Country.” This expansion is a natural next step for the brand, which has increasingly aligned itself with the Bitcoin community.

Sales Surge Follows Crypto Integration

Steak ‘n Shake began accepting Bitcoin (BTC) payments at its stores in May. At the time, Chief Operations Officer Dan Edwards expressed the goal of eventually enabling BTC payments at all of the company’s locations worldwide. The decision appears to have paid off quickly.

The company attributed a nearly 11% increase in same-store sales during the second quarter to its adoption of Bitcoin. The growth continued into the third quarter, with the chain celebrating a 15% quarter-over-quarter rise in same-store sales. This performance placed Steak ‘n Shake ahead of major competitors for the quarter, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Starbucks.

Reaffirming Loyalty to Bitcoin Community

The brand further solidified its pro-Bitcoin stance in October after a brief controversy involving Ether (ETH). Steak ‘n Shake polled its followers on the social media platform X, asking if it should also accept ETH as a payment method.

While 53% of the nearly 50,000 respondents voted in favor, the proposal sparked immediate backlash from prominent Bitcoin supporters. Critics argued that accepting ETH would undermine the chain’s alignment with Bitcoin’s principles of decentralization, threatening a boycott from its new customer base.

In a decisive response, Steak ‘n Shake reversed its position on the same day the poll was launched. The company suspended the poll and declared, “Our allegiance is with Bitcoiners. You have spoken.” This move was widely seen as a deliberate choice to cater to the Bitcoin community, highlighting the growing trend of merchants not only accepting cryptocurrency but also engaging with its culture.