Top Crypto and NFT-Themed Restaurants You Need To Visit

If you are interested in cryptocurrency, here is a list of crypto-themed restaurants that are definitely worth visiting.

Welly’s — Shiba Inu-Themed Fast-Food Restaurant

Source: https://www.eatwellys.com/

Shytoshi Kusama, lead developer at SHIB gave a statement elaborating that the aim behind the move is to connect more people with Shiba Inu.

There have been reports of applications submitted to Welly's from across the globe, requesting the inception of the Shiba Inu-themed restaurants in various locations all around the world. Welly's, in their strive to maintain uniformity in all branches when it comes to the service they provide, is taking things slowly.

The first restaurant was established on Feb. 2, 2022. The second location is in the works and expected to open in 2023. The payment for the food and services would be accepted through SHIB, however, perks such as NFTs are also available for customers who are interested.

The project is Shiba Inu-themed, meaning that Welly's would rebrand its restaurants to fit those themes. The catchphrase for the restaurant was also altered and turned into "I am Riyoshi. We eat well." This is indicative of Shiba Inu's anonymous founder that goes by the name Ryoshi. Additionally, the logo was also altered to the Shiba Inu mascot.

Shiba Inu chose Welly's for the deal due to the restaurant’s cruelty-free approach along with Welly’s aims of making fast food healthier. Ryoshi has been very vocal about his distaste for fast food mega-corporations that have animal cruelty allegations against them. The campaign ads were changed to be chicken-centered, as opposed to the original ads featuring beef, so as to ensure that the religious sentiments in the Indian market are not harmed. Ryoshi also tweeted against fast-food giants that offered unhealthy food only, saying, “Don’t eat like a clown, eat WELL”. Moreover, Welly’s is also reported to be in the works for developing a vegetarian-friendly menu to cater to its vegan and vegetarian customer base.

Flyfish Club — World's First NFT Private Dining Club

Source: https://www.flyfishclub.com/

The restaurant is a project by the VCR group, which counts entreprenuer and popular NFT investor Gary Vaynerchuk as one of its founders. One of its cofounders, David Rodolitz believes that the constant of an NFT restaurant is going to revolutionize the crypto and restaurant industries alike. Rodolitz said in statement to Nation's Restaurant News:

”We love food and drinks, but it’s a very difficult business model. The industry is very competitive, whether it’s rising rents, minimum wage, labor costs, it’s just very difficult, the margin is very small. There’s a limit to what you can charge the consumer and it’s getting to a point where the [business] model is not sustainable.”

The NFTs offered by the Flyfish Club collection depict the yellowfin tuna fish and certain versions of sushi and sashimi, staying true to the brand's seafood theme. No other membership fees or recurring payment are required after owning the NFTs, and holders can lease or sell their NFT memberships. However, payment for food and drinks in the dining club will be in — don't be surprised — US dollars.

Crypto Street Restaurant — Hispano-American Cuisine in Florida

Source: https://www.cryptostreetrestaurant.com/

The Clearwater Beach, Florida restaurant known simply as Crypto Street is in the works of encouraging cryptocurrency among its customers. Located at Residence Inn by Marriott hotel, the restaurant features a purely crypto centered menu.

The idea behind the menu is Hispanic and American food, with names of food items dedicated to crypto and Hispano-American cuisine. A few of the items listed on the menu are the cocktail named ‘Shiba shrimp’, 'crypto-cuban’ sandwiches, ‘DeFi caesar’ salad, 'bitcoinana split' and ‘nutty-protocol’ salad.

According to the owner Ricardo Varona, it was his son who first diverted Varona's attention towards cryptocurrency many years ago. Varona stated that upon hearing that, his initial response was "that's not worth anything", until the recent pandemic changed his mind about the potential of cryptocurrency. The owner also said in an interview that the cryptocurrencies that the restaurant accepts from customers include "shitcoins" or memecoins. Varona assists his customers in opening their Coinbase accounts in hopes to increase crypto acceptance in his restaurant.

In an interview with Tampa Bay Times, Ricardo Varona said:

"Maintaining the profit margin was hard and we know the supply chain issues and all that … So far the younger crowd loves it and come back. With the older crowd, there's a lot of people that have interest and similar stories to mine where their son or grandson taught them something. So it creates pretty cool conversations."

Varona also shared that the customers prefer calling the classic club sandwich by its crypto-inspired name. "People rarely tell us to make a club sandwich," Varona said. "Instead customers say 'I will get a blockchain.' They're just having fun with it and that's pretty cool." The "dogedog" according to the owner, is the best selling item on the entire menu.

Piya — Miami's First NFT Restaurant

Source: https://piyamiami.com/

Still only a concept, Piya by Chef Bee, is a NFT restaurant project that is expected to launch soon. Chef Bee, known for his restaurant Oishi Thai, has decided to jump into the NFT hype. Also known as Piyarat Potha Arreeratn, the chef is set to launch the restaurant under the title "Piya", which is a shortened version of his name.

The NFT restaurant project is in partnership with Canadian entrepreneur Simon Librati. Libarti revealed that the restaurant will be launching three different venues in the same location. While the restaurant's location is still unknown, Piya will become Miami's very first NFT restaurant. The restaurant interior is reported to contain a private omakase dining room, a Thai cuisine restaurant, and a casual area for NFT enthusiasts to indulge in private events.

In an interview with New Times, Simon Libarti said:

“The idea is to create a space where members can come to learn about NFTs, crypto trading, and these various new markets. Anyone can find investment and open a restaurant, but not everyone can provide the type of experience we’re planning … With Piya, you’ll become a member of a very specific community. We expect a lot of interest in this project will be artists, musicians, and celebrities, but also anyone who wants to learn more about NFT and cryptocurrency.”

Holders of the NFTs will be granted exclusive membership perks including meet-ups, access to events and exhibitions. There is no requirement of crypto wallets in order to make Piya purchases. Piya is currently working with FanVerse and Cere Network for the minting, promotion and sale of the NFT collection. Cere Network co-founder, Kenzi Wang explained that the all-in-one Cere Freeport platform will be available to facilitate the workings of Piya NFTs. “That means that when the NFT launches, customers can simply go to the Piya website and buy it with a credit card,” asserts Wang. “There’s no need to hold or use Ethereum or Bitcoin.”

Original Burger Boy

Source: https://www.lbburgerboy.com/

Chef Brad Miller and restaurateur Luke Tabit, have been conducting research finding the perfect combination of cheese, sauce and patty for a burger, over a span of six months. The blend of special patties, caramelized onions, various types of cheese that melt into your mouth and two soft buns paired with a concoction of secret spices, is definitely a mouth watering prospect that most people would die to try out. However, the only way you can try it out, is if you invest time, energy and assets in crypto, NFT and the metaverse.

Both of them have worked together at a number of LA-based restaurants that Tabit owns, including Ashland Hill and Ox & Son, which have served iterations of the burger. However, for the Original Boy Burger, the burger will only be available only after the owners have reached their funding goals through its NFT sale.

Overriding the traditional restaurant launch, Miller and Tabit took an unconventional route by aiming to establish a dedicated fanbase before the burger joint launches. Customers will need to purchase NFTs from the 'Burger Boy' collection, which showcases the 'Burger Boy' mascot in different attires. The mascot is known as the classic burger boy — and shows a boy sporting Miller's tattoos, wearing casual clothing and, of course, holding a burger in his hand.

Other NFTs of the classic 'Burger Boy' is the 'Fancy Boy', showcasing the classic kid in more formal clothing together with a bowtie, moustache, and a tophat. Other alternative characters include the 'Moon Boy,' who is the space themed version of the classic burger boy, in his space helmet.

9000 NFTs will be available to associates of the business upon launch. Each NFT mint price would range from 0.5 to 0.1 ETH. Once the sales begin to proceed, the funds made through the revenue will go into hosting events centered around food and NFTs. “We’ll have pop-up events where whoever owns a Burger Boy NFT gets free access to the event, and burgers and fries are included with it. We’re talking about doing special events with top name DJs in cool event spaces.” Tabit explained.

Goi Rolls — Vietnamese Fusion NFT Restaurant in the UAE

Source: https://goirolls.com/

Goi rolls, a Vietnamese summer rolls restaurant in the UAE, launched their own NFT collection that will offer visitors the chance to redeem half of the real time payment back at kiosks in Jumeirah. NFTs of Goi Rolls can be bought to earn physical rewards.

General Manager at Goi Rolls, Hayder Nashie stated:

“When you buy one, half of the value that you pay for it, you get back in food."

According to Nashie, Goi Rolls was the first ever restaurant in the United Arab Emirates to accept transactions in NFTs and that the project is an attempt at marketing. “It is. In this case, it is, because it’s a way of publicising your food, but it’s also a utility, so you’re giving value back to the purchaser,” said Nashie, in response to whether this is exclusively a marketing stunt.

Doge Burger — First Crypto-Themed Restaurant in Dubai

Source: https://dogeburger.co/

In Febuary 2022, the Dogecoin-themed "cloud" restaurant, Doge Burger was established in the city of Dubai. The restaurant became the first-ever crypto-themed restaurant in the United Arab Emirates. 

Doge Burger allows food to be delivered to the customer’s doorstep with burgers as the main meal on the menu. The restaurant is run by Rocket Kitchens and is affiliated with a cloud kitchen that enables home delivery once customers pay for their order in crypto.

Ghost or cloud kitchens has proved to be extremely prospective for various businesses in the fast-food industry. FAT Brands CEO Andy Wiederhorn stated:

“Internationally, the economics of ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants make more sense than they do in the U.S. Renting space for kitchens is less expensive, as are rates for delivery drivers, etc. Codes are also less sophisticated. Overall, new tech grows faster internationally and often can’t take hold in the U.S. because the economics don’t make sense.”

The idea behind Doge Burger is to publicize the world of cryptocurrencies to the still relatively untouched market of the United Arab Emirates, specifically Dubai. The venture is founded by the founders’ Dogecoin investments alone, staying true to the brand’s crypto-exclusive theme.

Among the cryptocurrencies that the restaurant is accepting and plans to accept in the future, are Dogecoin (DOGE), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Binance Coin (BNB), Cronos (CRO), Tether (USDT), Shiba Inu (SHIBA), and Ripple (XRP). The design of the packaging is Dogecoin-inspired, with its burger package sporting a rocketship with the tagline “To the Moon” on the top, while “I love cryptocurrency” is scribbled on the bottom end of the box. According to the official website, “Doge Burger is the chain’s first crypto-based hospitality concept that will enable consumers across the UAE to order and pay for their meal with digital currency.”

Various burger options are available on the menu of Doge Burger, while the hotdog option is referred to as the “hot doge”, a play on words referencing the brand’s trademark.

Lion’s Milk Coffeeshop — NFT-Themed Cafe in New York

Lion’s Milk Coffeeshop is an NFT-themed cafe with a showcase of NFTs on its screens and a rotating NFT exhibit inside the shop. The cafe accepts payments in cryptocurrency while the entire decor is also inspired by NFT. The cafe hosts many crypto events and activities, while accepting online and in-person payments made with cryptocurrency.

Located at Brooklyn, New York, the cafe is an ideal place for crypto enthusiasts expecting to enjoy some coffee. Their Twitter profile dons a Mutant Ape PFP, from the Mutant Ape Yacht club collection, an extension of the highly popular Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT.

To stay in line with the crypto theme, the cafe is accepting payments in cryptocurrency, although the least preferable is Ether, due to the high transaction costs. The Lion Milk Café's NFT collection features 10,000 unique NFTs with the poly geometric design.

Lion's Milk Coffeeshop café is certainly not the only NFT-themed coffeeshop in New York City. Coffee Bros, also known as Crypto Barista, is based on a crowdfunding system. The café hosts around 60 NFTs all centered around the main theme of coffee. The website states the future prospects as, "Our future efforts look to impact coffee supply chains, double down on sustainability, and improve the livelihoods of coffee-growing communities. We will use our platform to educate on inequities like producer wages, difficult working conditions, and women’s issues."

Holders of NFTs from the Crypto Barista collection will get lifetime perks at all locations of the café. The Barista Bank is a facility that holds 15% funds dedicated to future projects of the café. Holders of NFTs from the collection will also get a say in where those funds go.