MUY tags US$18M to scale cloud kitchens and restaurants in Mexico

Contxto – MUY is hungry for growth. The startup closed US$15 million almost a year ago, launched into Mexico, and then opened its first contactless restaurant in its native Colombia in early August.

And in a recent interview, MUY unveiled its plans to disperse US$18 million for operations in Mexico. 

Specifically, US$3 million are tagged to open 13 to 15 restaurants in Mexico City. The remainder will be spent to scale into more parts of the country including Monterrey, Nuevo León, and Guadalajara sometime next year.

Omnichannel dining with MUY

MUY works with cloud kitchens and adds a touch of innovation to optimize food preparation and the overall customer experience. Behind the scenes for example, it uses AI to try and predict orders and thus reduce food waste. Though it also hosts physical establishments.

Likewise MUY offers various channels through which hungry users can get their personalized meals. 

There is the traditional go-to-the-actual-restaurant, order, and eat there approach. Likewise, people can order through food delivery platforms like Rappi. A third option is ordering via smartphone and then just picking up your meal at the restaurant.

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However as of late, it’s been focusing on its eating establishments and the startup is quite confident in that regard.

“The model we’ve developed will prove to be a big winner in the future,” says José Calderón, CEO and Founder at MUY. “We’ve built technology to improve the experience at physical locations. That way, consumers can order via their phone, through touchscreens and self-serve kiosks, which helps us leverage new consumption habits.” 

Food for thought

MUY’s Founder is quite right. Thanks to Covid-19, consumers are shifting in the way they enjoy their food. Moreover, these habits will outlive the pandemic and the new normal, for which tech companies and restaurants alike should be prepared. 

Users have familiarized themselves with the convenience of ordering from their couch. or via smartphone then picking up a meal on their way home. So omnichannel distribution is a must-have for the future.

The rise of cloud kitchens—or restaurants that prepare food for delivery-only—throughout the pandemic also means there are more small business owners in need of tech to help with their operations. For example, to assist in balancing their books, vendor and inventory management, etc.

Related articles: Tech and startups from Colombia!

-ML