User Guide
Kitchen Display System (KDS)
The Kitchen Display System shows incoming orders in real time so your kitchen team can prepare food efficiently without paper tickets.
What the KDS Shows
The KDS displays all active orders as cards on a full-screen view. Each order card includes:
- •Table number -- so you know where the food is going
- •Ordered items -- with quantities, modifiers, and special notes
- •Time since order -- a timer showing how long the order has been waiting
- •Order type -- dine-in, takeaway, or delivery
- •Waiter name -- who placed the order
Order Status Flow
Every order follows a clear status progression. Kitchen staff interact with the order at each stage:
| Status | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Order just came in and has not been started | Tap to start preparing |
| In Progress | Kitchen is actively preparing this order | Tap "Ready" when food is prepared |
| Ready | Food is ready for pickup by the waiter | Waiter picks up and marks as served |
| Served | Food has been delivered to the table | Order disappears from the KDS |
Real-Time Updates
The KDS uses WebSocket technology to receive updates instantly. When a waiter sends a new order from the POS terminal, it appears on the kitchen display within a second -- no page refresh needed.
The same applies in reverse: when the kitchen marks an item as ready, the waiter sees a notification on their POS screen immediately.
Stay Connected
The KDS requires an active internet connection for real-time updates. If the connection is lost, a red banner will appear at the top of the screen. Orders will sync automatically once the connection is restored.
Kitchen vs. Bar Routing
Each menu item has a printer target setting that determines where it appears:
- •Kitchen -- food items appear on the kitchen KDS screen
- •Bar -- drink items appear on the bar KDS screen
This means a single order can be split across both stations. For example, if a guest orders a pizza and a beer, the pizza appears on the kitchen display and the beer on the bar display. Both stations work in parallel.
Setup
Printer targets are configured per menu item in Dashboard → Menu. You can also set up multiple KDS screens for different stations (e.g., cold kitchen, hot kitchen, bar).
Marking Items as Ready
When a dish is prepared and ready to be served:
- 1Tap the order card on the KDS screen.
- 2You can mark individual items as ready, or tap All Ready to mark the entire order at once.
- 3The waiter receives a notification that the order is ready for pickup.
Priority Handling
Orders that have been waiting longer are visually highlighted to help the kitchen prioritize:
- Normal -- order is within expected preparation time
- Attention -- order has been waiting longer than usual (yellow highlight)
- Urgent -- order is significantly overdue (red highlight with pulsing border)
The timing thresholds can be configured in Dashboard → Settings → KDS.