Justo is growing restaurants’ online presence in Chile. Next stop: Mexico

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Contxto – An average 20 to 30 percent growth rate for a startup is pretty good. What’s even better? A 50 percent increase in a single month. But what about… 400 percent?

Well, this big number is what Chilean Justo says it expects to grow in April. While it’s not quite clear whether it’s in customers, transactions, or both—the coronavirus (Covid-19) has kicked things into high gear for this startup.

And included to all its activities in Chile, Justo plans to expand into Mexico within three months.

It would appear that brick and mortar businesses (particularly restaurants) have been flocking to Justo because of Covid-19. As stores and eat-outs shut their doors due to quarantines, owners were scrambling to take their business to the digital realm. And that’s just what Justo does.

Startup Justo versus delivery apps

Delivery platforms like Rappi and UberEats are helping keep businesses afloat by connecting their app and deliverers with restaurants and hungry consumers. Albeit Justo argues that the fees these marketplaces charge businesses are steep.

Consequently, the startup helps businesses position their sales online through their own website. Likewise, it offers them a more inexpensive, on-demand delivery service. Among more recent developments, Justo released an app where consumers can find their favorite restaurants and contact the eat out joint directly. 

Of course, it’s not quite an all-out win-win. There are somewhat hidden costs that restaurants are paying for appearing on delivery platforms (even before Covid):

Food for thought

Earlier this year, Rappi announced that (among its other blitz-scaling plans) it would be exploring ways to offer the data it hoarded through its platform to businesses and companies. Not personal data, mind you, but rather info related to consumption habits. That way, industries and corporations could better understand their customers.

Likewise, Justo also says it wants to be fair with its businesses by offering them sales reports and info on its website’s visitors.

No doubt the smaller-sized restaurants on digital platforms need this kind of data too. But don’t necessarily have access to it.

Related articles: Tech and startups from Chile!

-ML