In 2025, the Arizona state government passed the Strategic Arizona Bitcoin Reserve, but the state, as the author understands it, has still not bought any coins. The argument put forward in the column is simple: people cannot afford to wait for the government to use bitcoin before they start using it themselves, or it will never happen.

That raises a practical question: can a normal person walk into a shop and actually pay with bitcoin? To find out, the author asked friends in Scottsdale who had never used bitcoin in real life to put it to the test. He recommended they download a Lightning wallet, sent them some satoshis, and pointed them to the BTC Map. The friends were surprised at how easy it was to download a wallet and move satoshis across the internet; it felt natural, they said — the way money should work.

First Stop: Pita Cafe (23535 N Scottsdale Rd #102, Scottsdale, AZ 85255)

The first test took place at Pita Cafe, a Mediterranean spot attached to the Scottsdale Burger Bar. Both establishments accept bitcoin. The friends came back raving about the food: everything is made fresh to order, and their recommendations are the spanakopita and the gyro pita. The restaurant was packed at lunchtime, but service stayed fast and there was plenty of seating.

At the register, the cashier was initially unsure whether the shop took bitcoin. Then he noticed the Square terminal was already set up for it, and the payment went through quickly. It was his first time seeing customers pay in bitcoin, and he was excited about it. According to the friends, he looked at the amount on the screen and said he was shocked that they had just paid “22,000 bitcoin”. They walked out feeling like royalty.

Next Up: Echo Coffee (2902 N 68th Street, Ste. 135, Scottsdale, AZ 85251)

The second stop was Echo Coffee for hot cocoa. This cashier did not need to figure anything out: she knew the shop accepted bitcoin, switched the terminal over, and asked the customer to scan the QR code. She told them she thinks it is super cool every time someone asks about it. Echo Coffee also donates 1% of purchases to the humane society, and its coffee bags have puppies on them.

For someone trying bitcoin payments for the first time, the two stops showed both sides of the experience: a merchant may need to recognize that its existing terminal supports bitcoin, while another cashier may already be familiar with the process. In either case, the payment involved a wallet, satoshis, and a QR-code scan rather than a separate in-store bitcoin system.

Sending loved ones out to a store along with some bitcoin to spend is, in the author's words, a blast. Some friends already hold bitcoin in investment portfolios, but the act of spending bitcoin on tangible items shows what this movement is all about. The more than 219 verified merchants listed below also show that the directory extends beyond restaurants and coffee shops to services, retail, automotive businesses, health and wellness providers, and other local establishments across Arizona.

Business owners who want to be added to the list, or readers with a new city and story to feature in an upcoming column, can write directly to vagabond@b.tc.

Appendix of 219 Arizona Bitcoin Merchants (Source: BTC Map)

Coffee Shops & Cafés

• Beal Beans — 509 West Hatcher Road, Phoenix, AZ 85021
• Beal Beans — 5757 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85012
• Bobaholic Milk Tea Lounge — 6135 North 35th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017
• The Buzzed Goat — 2795 South Market Street, Gilbert, AZ 85295
• The Buzzed Goat — 3415 South McClintock Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282
• The Buzzed Goat — 4302 East Ray Road, Phoenix, AZ 85044
• Cactus Coffee Works — 971 North Jason Lopez Circle, Florence, AZ 85132
• Echo Coffee — 2902 North 68th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
• Good News Phoenix — 1306 East Van Buren Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006-3438
• Piccola Casa Internacional — 2200 El Mercado Loop, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635-5215
• Stemistry — 618 East Adams Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004-2351
• Stemistry — 6601 East McDowell Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257-3164
• Sweet Sage Coffee Co. — 15 North Central Street, Colorado City, AZ 86021
• Wildcraft Kitchen — 345 Jordan Road, Sedona, AZ 86336
• Writer’s Block Coffee Shop — 17212 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255-9615

Restaurants & Quick Bites

• All Pierogi Kitchen Restaurant & Euro Market — 1245 West Baseline Road, Mesa, AZ 85202-5824
• Best Life Nutrition — 4158 Goldwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, AZ 85251-3816
• Black Mountain Bistro & Bar — 1595 Mohave Drive, Bullhead City, AZ 86442-3724
• Born’s Best Sandwiches — 2231 McCulloch Boulevard North, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
• Cilantros Mexican Cocina — 20928 North John Wayne Parkway, Maricopa, AZ 85139-2924
• Don Guerra’s Barrio Bagel & Slice — 689 North Arizona Avenue, Gilbert, AZ 85233-3414
• Dos Gordos Grill — 3552 West Baseline Road, Laveen, AZ 85339-3042
• Foch — 21 East 6th Street, Tempe, AZ 85281
• Gadzooks Enchiladas and Soup — 3150 East Ray Road, Gilbert, AZ 85296-1229
• Gadzooks Enchiladas and Soup — 3313 North 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014-5433
• Galaxy MunchBox — 11701 West Glendale Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85307-2601
• Galaxy MunchBox — 701 West Beloat Road, Buckeye, AZ 85326
• George’s Famous Gyros & Pasta — 20206 North 27th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85027
• George’s Famous Gyros & Pasta — 7620 East McKellips Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85258
• Haritz Ona — 6061 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331-8517
• Knuckle Sandwiches — 1140 North Higley Road, Mesa, AZ 85205
• Lazy E Grill — 7107 South Nucci Lane, Hereford, AZ 85615-9206
• Local Juicery — 3150 West State Route 89A, Sedona, AZ 86336
• Lollygag Waffles and Drinks — 13060 West Bell Road, Surprise, AZ 85378-1200
• Mancuso’s Restaurant — 201 East Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004-2428
• One Hot Mess — 683 North Main Street, Eagar, AZ 85925
• Pita Cafe — 23535 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
• Riot Grill — 405 East American Avenue, Oracle, AZ 85623-6119
• Scottsdale Burger Bar — 23535 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
• Seattle Fish House — 4419 East Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85205-7900
• Sonson’s Pasty — 1430 West Warner Road, Gilbert, AZ 85233-7039
• Soup & Sausage Bistro — 13240 North 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85022-5309
• Soup & Sausage Bistro — 4030 East Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85032-2299
• Stoop Kid — 901 North 1st Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004-2140

The directory also includes bakeries, sweets and desserts; bars, breweries and lounges; groceries and specialty food; barbers and hair salons; beauty, spa and body art; health and wellness; fitness and martial arts; shopping and retail; automotive; tech and electronics; home services and trades; professional and business services; pets; and entertainment and community businesses across Arizona.

This article, “Now Accepting Bitcoin: Gyros, Cocas, and 219 Arizona Bitcoin Merchants,” first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Vagabond.