Want a free meal this week? What about some free cryptocurrency to go with it?
Chipotle fans will get the opportunity to try their luck and win either a free burrito or free bitcoin on April 1, otherwise known as National Burrito Day. (And no, it's not an April Fools' joke — we hope.) On Tuesday, the chain announced the new promotion called "Burritos or Bitcoin" that will be valid for one day only.
In a news release, Chipotle explained that interested individuals can go to BurritosorBitcoin.com on Thursday to play a game for a "chance to win a free burrito or up to $25,000 in Bitcoin." Ten thousand people will win one free burrito, while 50 players will score $500 in Bitcoin and three very lucky winners will be awarded $25,000 in Bitcoin.
Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long.
Chris Brandt, Chipotle's chief marketing officer, said in a statement, "National Burrito Day is a huge moment for Chipotle as our fans traditionally flock to our restaurants and digital platforms to order their favorites. 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."
The California-based restaurant brand is partnering with developer and Coil CEO Stefan Thomas to launch the interactive game, which is based on Thomas' personal experience losing the password to a hard drive that contained $387 million in Bitcoin.
In Chipotle's game, players will get 10 chances to try to crack the code on the restaurant's digital wallet in a "chiptocurrency rescue mission." But even if players aren't successful, "they may be surprised and delighted with a special offer from Chipotle," according to the company's release.
Related
Chipotle claims it's "the first U.S. restaurant brand to offer a cryptocurrency giveaway to consumers" with its "Burritos or Bitcoin" promotion and it's certainly an interesting way to celebrate the food holiday.
But it's not the first time the fast-casual chain has offered free food or money. In 2019, basketball fans got the chance to win up to $1 million in free burritos and tacos. The year before, Chipotle launched a contest for free burritos for a year that was tied to the popular video game Fortnite.
One commenter on Instagram questioned the authenticity of this latest giveaway: "Is this an April fools prank 🧐," they wrote.
Another was much more enthusiastic about the news, commenting, "my 2 all time favorite things!!!"
Someone else was still unsure, asking, "What does Bitcoin have to do with chipotle’s??"
What is certain is that you'll have at least two days to figure out what you'd like to order. And yes, guac is always a good idea!