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    A Bitcoin Bentley

    Houston restaurateur first in U.S. to buy Bentley with bitcoin from Tilman Fertitta's luxe dealership

    Eric Sandler
    Sep 17, 2018 | 3:48 pm
    Ken Bridge Bentley bitcoin
    Ken Bridge bought a Bentley with bitcoin.
    Photo by Violetta Alvarez

    Tilman Fertitta has found his first Bitcoin buyer. Less than two weeks after announcing that his car dealership, Post Oak Motor Cars, would accept the popular cryptocurrency for the purchase of a Rolls Royce, Bentley, or Bugatti, a local businessman has stepped up to turn his coins into a car.

    On September 17, Ken Bridge, the owner of local restaurant group Delicious Concepts (Ritual, Ready Room, Blackbird Izakaya, etc), used a portion of his bitcoin holdings to purchase a Bentley Continental GT. He appears to be the first person in the country to use cryptocurrency to purchase a vehicle from a dealership.

    “I have always had tremendous respect for Tilman and all that he has accomplished, and I wanted to demonstrate my support towards his pioneering efforts,” Bridge said in a statement. “Blockchain and crypto are undoubtedly the technologies of the future, and I applaud Tilman for making massive strives in Bitcoin consumerism.”

    Although the purchase price was not disclosed, Bridge tells CultureMap that his decision to invest in Bitcoin years ago means his cost in dollars is much lower than if he had paid for the car in cash. Although one coin is currently worth about $6,300 (down from its high late last year of almost $20,000), Bridge's early investments at lower valuations have paid off.

    "The first time I ever purchased bitcoin I bought in at $648 per unit," Bridge says. He later bought another block at a little over $1,200.

    "I try to take advantage of when Bitcoin is at low ends to buy different blocks," Bridge explains. Later, he adds, "I think that paints a pretty good picture of the advantages of [this method] of purchase."

    In fact, Bridge has become so enamored with cryptocurrencies that he's developed a new restaurant point-of-sale system that utilizes blockchain technology and its own coins. Dubbed Roobee, the system pairs with an app that allows users to order dishes from their phones. With each purchase, users earn a certain amount of Roobee Coin that they can redeem for goods and services at merchants on the platform. Ultimately, Bridge plans to let Roobee Coin holders trade them on cryptocurrency exchanges, which means the coins someone gets for purchasing gyoza at Blackbird Izakaya could someday be worth enough to buy a whole dinner at Ritual — or maybe even a luxury automobile.

    “Still today, most people remain unaware of the potential of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, and the global impact they will have on all of us in the very near future,” Bridge added in the release.

    That awareness grows with each major purchase, especially one as splashy as something off the Post Oak Motor Cars showroom floor.

    technology
    news/innovation

    Hail yeah

    Amazon’s Zoox robotaxi service gears up to hit Houston roads

    John Egan
    Sep 1, 2026 | 2:30 pm
    Zoox robotaxi
    Photo courtesy of Zoox
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    Amazon-owned robotaxi ride-hailing service Zoox is zooming into Houston later this month, becoming the latest robotaxi operator jockeying for local riders.

    Initially, self-driving retrofitted SUVs with safety drivers on board will serve downtown Houston, centrally located tourist hotspots, and certain residential neighborhoods. The SUVs will test Houston roads before Zoox rolls out autonomous robotaxis here, the company says.

    Zoox takes Houston for a test drive

    At the outset, Zoox says, a limited number of vehicles will be driven by people to gather data about Houston roads.

    “This helps create a detailed picture of each street, from road geometry to traffic lights,” the company says. “Once we have mapped out an area, we will test autonomous driving capabilities. Safety and operational readiness govern the pace of our rollout.”

    Zoox says its robotaxi differs from vehicles operated by other ride-hailing services.

    The robotaxi “is purpose-built for autonomous ride-hailing and designed for riders from day one,” the company says. “It has no traditional driving controls and instead has carriage-style seating, sliding glass doors, and features that let the rider personalize their journey.”

    Along with Houston, Zoox is launching this month in San Diego. The ride-hailing service already operates in Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

    Zoox breaks into “sprawling” Houston market

    Zoox describes Houston as its “most sprawling market to date.”

    “Driving here means navigating complex service-road networks, unique merging scenarios, and challenging environmental conditions, including severe heat, heavy rain, and urban flooding,” the company says. “It’s a rigorous test of our technology across geography and terrain.”

    Zoox will join two other autonomous ride-hailing services in Houston:

    • Waymo began rolling in Houston in February. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, owns Waymo.
    • Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla began offering robotaxi services earlier this year.

    A third Zoox competitor is arriving within the next year. A partnership comprising rideshare provider Uber, EV manufacturer Lucid, and autonomous technology company Nuro plans to launch a robotaxi service in Houston by mid-2027.

    news/innovation

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