Stockholm's first bitcoin falafel

In Södermalm, Stockholm, one of the city's most popular falafel bars has taken a step into the future. Falafelbaren at Hornsgatan 39 now accepts bitcoin, attracting not only a new customer base but also contributing to a larger discussion about money, power, and technology.

We spoke with the owner, Nidal, about the decision to accept bitcoin, customer reactions, and why this is much more than just a payment solution.

“Now I get that it's not so hard”

A skeptic who became curious

Like many others, Nidal was initially skeptical about bitcoin."I first heard about it back in 2012, but I didn’t understand it at all and didn’t have the time to look into it," he says.

But curiosity caught up with him, thanks in part to his younger brother. "He was always curious, and eventually, I started reading up on it more seriously. I realized the connection between bitcoin and the real economy - how inflation makes us poorer year after year."

Despite his ideological conviction, one key question remained: how does it actually work with the Swedish Tax Agency and the cash register system? "Running a business in Sweden means you need to have a firm grasp of the rules, or it can get very expensive. But we quickly realized that handling bitcoin payments was actually easier than we thought."

How bitcoin payments work

With the help of bitcoin enthusiast BT Chick, Falafelbaren set up a bitcoin payment terminal. Transactions are made using a QR code that the customer scans with their phone, and the payment is then sent directly to the company’s wallet.

"It’s a bitcoin wallet linked to our business. When a customer pays with bitcoin, we enter the amount into the register and pay VAT just like any other transaction. For us, it’s essentially no different from a card payment."

Nidal also points out that the traditional payment system is far more complex than many realize: "With regular card payments, there are so many intermediaries - Nets, Visa, Mastercard, banks… There could be seven entities involved in processing a single transaction. And we just tap our cards, thinking it doesn’t cost anything. But everyone takes their cut."

Bitcoin as a payment method

So far, only a handful of customers have paid with bitcoin, but the enthusiasm has been high. "We had a few customers come in right after it was posted on social media. That’s exactly what we hoped for, to reach a new audience and help normalize bitcoin as a payment method," Nidal says.

But will bitcoin truly become an everyday currency? Nidal is realistic. He doesn’t believe people will start spending their valuable bitcoin on a large scale - at least not yet. "Most people still see bitcoin as an investment rather than a currency. But it’s fun to be part of the development. And for us, it’s also about education—getting more people to try it out and understand how it works."

Bitcoin is Proof of Work - and here, it's Proof of Really Good Falafel!

Ultimately, though, it’s not just about bitcoin. For Falafelbaren, the most important thing is serving great food, made from scratch, with quality ingredients. "We fry everything to order and make all our sauces ourselves. For us, it’s about delivering the best we can every day."

And now, you can pay for that handcrafted falafel with the currency of the future.

Want to give it a try? Swing by Falafelbaren at Hornsgatan 39, pay with bitcoin, and try Nidal’s personal favorite: the Original Wrap!