21 in 21: Joe Carlo on How Bitcoin Changed Pink Owl Coffee Forever

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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