
21 in 21: Joe Carlo on How Bitcoin Changed Pink Owl Coffee Forever
From 21 in 21 by Hosted by Haley Berkoe
October 30, 2025 · 24 min
About this episode
Haley Berkoe interviews Joe Carlo about the impact of bitcoin on Pink Owl Coffee's business model.
Haley Berkoe sits down with Joe Carlo, co-owner of Pink Owl Coffee, a café that began in San Rafael, California, and has since expanded to three locations across the Bay Area. Pink Owl is one of the earliest Square merchants to integrate bitcoin into its business model. For several years, Joe and his partner Saandra have been converting a percentage of sales into bitcoin as part of their long-term savings strategy, and they recently joined Square’s beta program to begin accepting bitcoin payments directly, ahead of the public launch on November 10th. Joe shares how he first discovered bitcoin, what inspired him to use it as a small-business owner, and how he’s helped educate both customers and staff on what it means to pay (and save) in bitcoin. https://pinkowlcoffee.com/
People in this episode
Host: Haley Berkoe
Guest: Joe Carlo
Topics covered
- bitcoin
- small business
- financial strategy
- education
- technology
Keywords
- bitcoin
- Pink Owl Coffee
- Square
- business model
- financial education
- sales strategy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Pink Owl Coffee, Square
Places: San Rafael, California, Bay Area
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