Which Wich Superior Sandwiches in Iowa City is giving cryptocurrency to its customers through a deal tied to the value of Bitcoin on April 29.

The goal of the box is to encourage the use of cryptocurrency by customers.

In addition to its sandwich, cookie, chips, and large drinks contents, the $15 Crypto Meal Box also includes a Which Wich branded CryptoCoin with a starting value of $10.

There are three utilities of the coin, Hala Habal, chief communications officer for Sinelli Concepts, Inc., which operates Which Wich, said:

• Redeem it for food and drink at a Which Wich location
• Hang on to it and see how much the value changes
• Cash-out for U.S. currency

“All purchasers of the Which Wich Crypto Meal box can authenticate and track the value of their free Which Wich CryptoCoin at whichwich.com/cryptobox,” Which Wich representative Chris McMurry wrote in a press release.

The price of the Cryptocoin is subject to change for up to two years based on Bitcoin fluctuations, McMurry wrote. The coin must be used within two years from the purchase, according to the terms of the promotion.

Bitcoin, a decentralized digital currency, is currently worth around $40,000 per Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency had a meteoric rise in 2020 and early 2021, moving from being valued at around $7,000 at the beginning of 2020 to more than $68,000 in November 2021.

Habal said the Crypto Meal Box promotion is a low-impact way to have cryptocurrency and enjoy a meal.

Habal said that people who are not involved in the crypto universe but are curious are given good exposure with the Which Wich deal.

“[The] crypto exchange platform, Gemini, recently found that only 14 percent of Americans own some form of cryptocurrency,” McMurry wrote.

Brandon Koch, University of Iowa fourth-year and president of the UI Cryptocurrency Club, said he is looking forward to attending the promotion and plans to spread the word to the club’s members.

The student organization, Koch said, brings people together to learn about the growing field of cryptocurrency.

He said at the beginning of the year, the club starts out the first semester with beginner knowledge and an introduction to the field. Later in the semester, they discuss current events and trends in cryptocurrency.

He said he is a frequent customer at Which Wich and believes this is a setup for a very successful promotion.

“I think for crypto beginners, this gives them a reason to track the value of their crypto coin,” he said.

Habal said the promotion is a soft introduction to Which Wich’s guests and fanbase, but it is absolutely something they hope to continue.

“Sky’s the limit,” Habal said, “Our intention is to roll out various crypto promotions.”

Habal said CEO and founder of Which Wich, Jeff Sinelli, expressed an interest to be at the forefront of immersive technology.

Sinelli said in the press release that Which Wich is excited to offer customers a chance to dip their toes into the cryptocurrency market.

Habal said the company believes that the promotion will be popular on college campuses as students are informed about cryptocurrency. Around 300 locations are participating across the Which Wich franchise.

Koch said that Bitcoin has proven to see returns over time and beginners who track their coin can find out the behavior and the price movements before investing money in the market.

“If they keep these events coming with crypto, they could really associate themselves as one of the restaurants that is forward looking into the future, and really on top of what people are interested in,” he said, “I think that would give them a great competitive advantage.”