Brussels, Europe Brief News –When the crypto-themed Long Beach burgers eatery Bored & Hungry initially debuted in April, it didn’t only adopt the trappings of crypto culture. It was also all-in on electronic money. Sure, there were meme-y allusions to rockets and bulls on the walls, and the cups and platters were plastered with Bored Apes. The cartoon monkeys that superstars like Paris Hilton and Post Malone have praised as six-figure purchases.
Crypto-Themed Restaurant
Customers were, however, given the opportunity to pay for their meals in bitcoin. The eatery was putting its money where its mouth was. That is no longer applicable, not even three months afterward, in the middle of a crypto meltdown with some investors seeking a way out.
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Throughout a pause in the busy hours one late evening, while a cashier imprinted paper bags with the fast-food joint’s name, twin menus dangled over his head, offering Bored & Hungry’s meat-based and vegan selections, but only in ancient US dollars. A Smashburger costs $9.25. $3.50 for pepper-seasoned fries. $3.50 for an ape-themed bottle of soda.
Any reference to Ethereum or ape coin, the two cryptocurrencies the popup advertised it would take as payment, is absent. Andy Nguyen, the owner, was also missing, as he did not answer multiple emails inquiring about the change. However, an employee who wished to remain anonymous stated that the business does not take cryptocurrency payments.
“Not today – I don’t know,” they responded, failing to ask how long the business had stopped taking cryptocurrency or if it would be reinstated in the future.
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With both currencies down by over 60% from early April and double-digit intraday volatility, any firm would be understandably hesitant to take them in place of dollars. However, users may also have a role. An employee at the restaurant’s grand launch told The Times that the bitcoin payments were cumbersome and generally disregarded by diners.
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Almost three months later, finding a customer who cared enough about the restaurant’s commitment to the crypto cause wasn’t easy.
“Yes, Ethereum is a currency in the sense that you can swap [non-fungible tokens, or] NFTs and other things… but as far as buying food and all that, maybe not,” remarked one crypto-enthusiast diner, Marc Coloma, as he ate fries outside the eatery. “People want to keep their Ethereum. They’re not going to utilize it.”
Long Beach resident Michael Powers, 46, was little informed. He frequents Bored & Hungry — as many as 2 – 3 times a week, he estimates — but while the ape-themed signs lured him in, he didn’t realize the restaurant was NFT-themed till his sons described it to him. And that’s it about the crypto-themed restaurant.
