Free burritos or Bitcoin?
Chipotle will be giving away $100,000 in free burritos — as well as $100,000 in Bitcoin — on April 1, aka National Burrito Day, according to a press release issued Tuesday. “This occasion makes Chipotle the first U.S. restaurant brand to offer a cryptocurrency giveaway to consumers,” the release reads.
National Burrito Day is April 1 and while Mexican food chains aren’t exactly going the whole enchilada, the day hasn’t been canceled like other food days during the COVID-19 pandemic. The made-up food holiday is held annually on the first Thursday of April.
Chipotle said in a news release that it is the first U.S. restaurant brand to offer a “cryptocurrency giveaway to consumers” through the “Burritos or Bitcoin” game, which starts Thursday at noon EST and ends at 9 p.m. at www.burritosorbitcoin.com.
But fans can’t simply walk into a Chipotle and hope they’ll be entered in the giveaway. Instead, entrants will be asked to play “Burritos or Bitcoin,” a game Chipotle says is inspired by a true story centering on a very expensive hard drive.
Chipotle said it is working with Stefan Thomas, the founder and CEO of Coil, for the game – which is described as “a playful ode to Thomas’ experience losing the password to his hard drive that stored $387 million in Bitcoin.” The German-born programmer living in San Francisco made headlines in January for getting locked out of his digital wallet.
Now for its game, Chipotle is “claiming to have lost the passcode to its digital wallet and is encouraging its fans to carry out a mock ‘chiptocurrency’ rescue mission.” Each player gets 10 tries to guess a correct six-digit passcode for a chance to win a free burrito or up to $25,000 in Bitcoin.
“National Burrito Day is a huge moment for Chipotle as our fans traditionally flock to our restaurants and digital platforms to order their favorites,” Chris Brandt, Chipotle chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “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: Burritos or Bitcoin.”
Losers might not end up empty-handed: “If players are unsuccessful in their ten attempts and endure the same fate as Thomas, they may be surprised and delighted with a special offer from Chipotle,” the company said in the release.
According to the fine print, no purchase is necessary to enter and the contest is open to legal residents in 50 states and Washington D.C. who are 18 or older. Among the prizes: 10,000 fans will win one free burrito, 50 win $500 in Bitcoin and three win $25,000 in Bitcoin.
