New Jersey-based fast-food restaurant chain Muscle Maker Grill has announced that it will start accepting Bitcoin in its April 29 press release.
Initially, it will only accept Bitcoin from its franchisees before enabling cryptocurrency purchases at its physical locations and online.
Muscle Maker—which was founded back in 1995—has a healthy twist: it aims to provide affordable and fulfilling meals to its customers, priding itself on being the healthiest fast-food chain in the U.S.
CEO Michael Roper calls cryptocurrency acceptance a "natural progression" for his Nasdaq-listed company:
Millennials are in search of healthy food, giving them the ability to pay with a cryptocurrency makes it even easier to eat healthy. Our strategy is to get healthy food to consumers through non-traditional locations and methods, accepting bitcoin will allow Muscle Maker to continue to provide innovative ways of delivering on this strategy.
More merchants turn to altcoins
Cryptocurrency merchant adoption has made a significant leap over the past month.
Office-sharing giant WeWork, leading electronic music store Beatport, Tilman Fertitta's restaurant chain Landry's and America's largest RV dealer Camping World are only some of the major companies that have announced their plans to accept crypto this April.
Bitcoin's share of payment volume is actually declining, according to BitPay CCO Sonny Singh, as high-flying altcoins of the likes of Dogecoin become equally attractive for merchants that are searching for publicity:
We're seeing a lot more buying coming from Dogecoin now, believe it or not.
Vladislav Sopov