You have to give the marketing department at Chipotle some credit. They certainly know how to turn heads.
The fast-food chain has announced plans to give away $100,000 in Bitcoin this Thursday as part of its National Burrito Day promotion. (It will also give away $100,000 in free food.)
Chipotle is teaming with Stefan Thomas, the tech founder who made headlines earlier this year after losing the login to the hard drive that contained $387 million in the cryptocurrency. As part of the promotion, the chain will encourage customers to go to BurritosOrBitcoin.com on April 1 to guess a six-digit code. Ten thousand codes will unlock free food. Three will unlock $25,000 in Bitcoin. And 50 will unlock $500 in Bitcoin. Players will have 10 tries to guess the code.
(And yes, we, too, can hear hackers hurriedly putting together bots to game the system.)
The contest will run from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PT on Thursday.
“National Burrito Day is a huge moment for Chipotle as our fans traditionally flock to our restaurants and digital platforms to order their favorites,” said Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer at Chipotle, in a press release. “We’re always looking for unique ways to enhance the celebration, and this year, we’re giving fans the opportunity to acquire two highly valuable assets.”
Chipotle has leaned into the digital world before with some success. Last year, it opened the first digital-only restaurant in the U.S., requiring customers to order in advance online or through a third-party delivery company.
Bitcoin, of course, has been on a tear for some time, and is increasingly favorited by corporations. Most recently, Square CFO Amrita Ahuja expressed her enthusiasm for the currency. The company has invested $220 million in Bitcoin since last October.