Shortwave Coffee Brings Bitcoin Payments to Five Locations Across Three States

Shortwave Coffee enables bitcoin payments after customer requests

Shortwave Coffee, a family-run coffee roastery, now accepts bitcoin at its five locations across three states. Local bitcoiners had been requesting the feature for several months before the company approved it in July 2026.

Shortwave Coffee started in Missouri in 2014 as a small roastery. It has since grown to five locations: two in Columbia, Missouri; one in St. Louis at 33 N. Sarah Street in the Central West End; one in Minneapolis; and a roastery in Tampa.

How bitcoin acceptance came to Shortwave

Local bitcoiners repeatedly asked baristas at Shortwave Coffee locations about paying with bitcoin. They also sent emails to the company before finally receiving approval in July 2026.

The approval came during a broader shift in payment infrastructure. In March 2026, Square began automatically enabling bitcoin acceptance for up to 4 million payment terminals. The feature moved from an optional setting to a default option, though the rollout has been gradual across different regions.

What is confirmed

• Shortwave Coffee started in Missouri in 2014
• The company operates five locations across Missouri, Minnesota, and Florida
• Shortwave approved bitcoin payments in July 2026 after customer requests
• Square enabled automatic bitcoin acceptance for millions of terminals starting March 2026

Why this matters

Small businesses can now accept bitcoin through existing payment terminals without additional setup. This makes it easier for customers to spend bitcoin at local shops when merchants enable the feature.

Sources

• Bitcoin Magazine