10 Restaurants That Take Bitcoin & Alternate Currencies
No shirt, no shoes, no service. No dollars? That might be just fine, actually. The meteoric rise of Bitcoin—an alternate currency based on peer-to-peer exchange and not linked to any government—is prompting businesses to reassess which forms of payment they'll accept. Farmers look to Bitcoin as a means of avoiding costly credit-card transaction fees, and restaurants are turning to it for its ease of use, even as its stability faces constant scrutiny. Suddenly, cash is old hat; alternate currencies are gaining, uh, currency around the country.
Want in on the action? The Bitcoin wiki keeps a list of shops that accept it. If vast, decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin just aren't your thing, you're better off looking in your backyard: communities across America have begun to produce local currencies to help support their small businesses. And lest you fear that these alternatives are generally worthless, we found plenty of great restaurants and markets that accept them. Here are some of the best.
1/10Bay Bucks: 9 Bean Rows
Traverse City's local currency in Michigan, the pleasingly alliterative Bay Bucks, is used by "a diverse and inviting assortment of enterprises," and it doesn't get much more inviting than 9 Bean Rows, a café and bakery in nearby Suttons Bay. (Credit: 9 Bean Rows/Facebook)
2/10BerkShares: Blackberry River Baking Co.
Perhaps the only local currency that's also a pun, BerkShares have served the Berkshire region since 2006; more than 400 local businesses have signed up to use the currency. Among them is Blackberry River Baking Co. in Canaan, Connecticut, which offers breakfast all day and delicious desserts from scratch. (Photo: Blackberry River Baking Co.)
3/10Shire Silver: Grass Hill Cattle
Based in New England, Shire Silver distributes cards backed by silver bullion, which you can use to buy grass-fed Angus beef from Haydenville, Massachusetts's Grass Hill Farms. (Photo: Flickr/Kmitschke)
4/10Brooklyn Torch Project: Have Someone Cook Breakfast for You
Still in its infancy, the Brooklyn Torch Project intends to unify North Brooklyn merchants and residents. It's not the kind of dough you'll spend in local restaurants—you can, however, use it to hire Brooklynites to cook you breakfast in your home, make you a loaf of white bread, or host a cooking class for you. (Photo: Brooklyn Torch)
5/10New Orleans Crescents: The Crescent City Farmers Market
New Orleans's fantastic farmers' market has a currency of its own: Crescents. These wooden tokens are good for anything at the market; you can buy them with cash or EBT. (Photo: Facing Hunger)
6/10Ithaca HOURs: Maxie's Supper Club and Oyster Bar
Since 1991, Ithacans have made use of Ithaca HOURs, a time-based currency: one HOUR is equivalent to pay for an hour's work. Though they've since become scarce, HOURs are still accepted by businesses around the city; an online directory includes Maxie's Supper Club and Oyster Bar, which offers half-price oysters from 4 to 6 p.m. daily. (Photo: Flickr/Richard Toller)
7/10Bitcoin: Hudson Eatery
New York's Hudson Eatery accepts Bitcoin. With its red banquettes and warm lighting, this diner offers shrewd, no-nonsense takes on classic pub grub; it's great for burgers, meatballs, cocktails, and the like. Entrées are $10–$20, or about 0.01158–0.02317 Bitcoins at current exchange rates. (Photo: Peter S)
8/10Bitcoin: Thelonious Monkfish
This Cambridge, Massachusetts, sushi restaurant pays homage to the jazz pianist in its name and by serving what it calls "jazz for the palate"; you can pay with your favorite cryptocurrency. Dinner is around $20.
9/10PayPal: Bravo Trattoria
In Sydney, Bravo Trattoria is part of a new rollout by PayPal that allows diners to settle their bills using their phones, without having to get a waiter's attention. (Photo: Bravo Trattoria)
Craig Dugas Flickr10/10Bitcoin: Subway
Surprised? Everyone's favorite multinational sandwich chain accepts Bitcoin—at least, its Lehigh Valley, Pa., location does. The owner, Shapan Shah, says, "I just thought this would be a really cool thing." Yep. (Photo: Craig Dugas/Flickr)
