Documentation

Kitchen Operations Guide

Managing the Kitchen Display System (KDS), tickets, and order coordination.

Watch: Kitchen Operations Overview (8 min)

Kitchen Display System (KDS)

The Kitchen Display System shows all orders in real-time, helping kitchen staff prepare orders efficiently and in the correct sequence.

Kitchen Display System showing active tickets with status colors and timers
The KDS displays all active orders with color-coded status and timing
Accessing the KDS

Navigate to POS > Kitchen or click the "Kitchen Display" button on the POS Dashboard.

Understanding Kitchen Tickets

Each order creates a Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT) that displays essential information for food preparation.

Single kitchen ticket showing order details
A kitchen ticket shows all essential information for food preparation

Ticket Information

Element Description
Order Number Unique identifier for the order
Order Type Dine-In (with table #), Takeout, or Delivery
Time How long since the order was placed
Items List of items to prepare with quantities and modifiers
Priority Normal, Rush, or VIP indicators
Special Instructions Allergy notes, cooking preferences, etc.

Ticket Status Colors

Kitchen tickets showing different status colors
Color-coded tickets help prioritize kitchen work
Color Status Meaning
Green New New order - just received
Orange In Progress Being prepared
Red Overdue Exceeds target time
Blue Ready Waiting for pickup

Working with Tickets

Animated demo of working with kitchen tickets
Ticket workflow: Start → Mark items complete → Bump ticket

Start Preparing an Order

  1. View New Tickets
    New orders appear on the left side of the KDS display.
  2. Click or Tap "Start"
    This moves the ticket to "In Progress" status and starts the preparation timer.
  3. Prepare Items
    Follow the order details and special instructions to prepare each item.

Mark Items as Complete

  1. Click Individual Items
    As you finish each item, click it to mark it complete. It will show a checkmark.
  2. Or Complete Entire Ticket
    Click "Done" or "Bump" when all items are ready.

Bump the Ticket

Once an order is completely ready:

  1. Click "Bump" or "Ready"
    This removes the ticket from the active display and notifies front-of-house.
  2. Order Moves to Ready Queue
    The order status changes to "Ready" in the POS system.

Hold and Fire

The Hold/Fire feature allows you to control when items are sent to the kitchen, useful for coursed dining.

Hold and Fire interface showing held items and fire buttons
Hold items for coursed dining, then fire when ready

What is Hold?

Items marked as "Held" are not sent to the kitchen immediately. They wait until explicitly "Fired".

What is Fire?

"Firing" an item sends it to the kitchen for immediate preparation.

Using Hold/Fire

Animated demo of hold and fire feature
Demo: Holding items and firing by course
  1. Hold Items During Order Taking
    When adding items, mark them as "Hold" to delay sending to kitchen.
  2. Fire When Ready
    When the customer is ready for their next course, select the held items and click "Fire".
  3. Fire All
    Use "Fire All" to send all held items to the kitchen at once.
Common Use Case

For a multi-course dinner: Hold the main course and dessert while firing appetizers first. Fire the main course when guests finish appetizers.

Kitchen Printing

Orders can be printed to kitchen printers in addition to (or instead of) the KDS display.

Different types of kitchen printed tickets
Different ticket types for different kitchen stations

Print Types

Type Purpose
Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT) Printed ticket for kitchen showing items to prepare
Prep Ticket Ticket for specific prep station (e.g., grill, fryer)
Expeditor Ticket Master ticket for expo station to coordinate plating

Reprint a Ticket

If a ticket is lost or damaged:

  1. Find the Order
    Locate the order in the KDS or Order History.
  2. Click "Reprint" or "Print KOT"
    Select the reprint option from the order actions menu.

Kitchen Stations

If your kitchen is divided into stations (grill, fry, salad, etc.), items can be routed to specific stations based on their category.

Kitchen stations display showing different prep areas
Stations help organize preparation across different kitchen areas
Station Typical Items
Grill Burgers, steaks, grilled items
Fry Fried foods, french fries
Cold/Salad Salads, cold appetizers
Beverage Drinks, smoothies
Dessert Desserts, pastries
Station Configuration

Kitchen stations are configured by your system administrator. Contact them if items are being routed incorrectly.

Tips for Kitchen Efficiency

Best Practices
  • FIFO Order - Process oldest tickets first (First In, First Out)
  • Watch Time Indicators - Red tickets need immediate attention
  • Read Special Instructions - Always check for allergies and modifications
  • Communicate - Inform front-of-house of any delays or 86'd items
  • Batch Similar Items - Prepare similar items together for efficiency

Next Steps

Delivery Management

Learn how to coordinate orders with delivery drivers.

Menu Management

Configure menu items, categories, and kitchen routing.