Kitchen Display System (KDS)
Kitchen Display System (KDS)
The Kitchen Display System (KDS) provides kitchen staff with a real-time digital view of incoming orders, replacing traditional paper tickets.
Route: /pos/[branchId]/kds
Overview
The KDS is a dedicated view for kitchen staff that displays:
- Incoming orders with itemized details
- Order timing and urgency indicators
- Station-based filtering and routing
- Audio alerts for new orders
- Status management per item (not fired, queued, done)
The KDS is intentionally separate from front-of-house lanes , it provides a cross-service ticket view for the kitchen.
Screen Layout
Ticket Grid
Orders are displayed as ticket cards in a grid layout. Each ticket card shows:
| Section | Information |
|---|---|
| Header | Order number, table/customer name, time elapsed |
| Items | Each item with name, quantity, modifiers, seat label |
| Item Status | Per-item status indicator (not fired, queued, done) |
| Notes | Special instructions and dietary flags |
| Timer | Elapsed time since order was placed |
| Station | Assigned kitchen station (if station routing is enabled) |
Layout Options
The KDS supports three layout modes (configurable in settings):
| Layout | Description |
|---|---|
| Grid | Tickets arranged in a responsive grid |
| List | Tickets in a vertical list (compact) |
| Station | Tickets grouped by kitchen station |
Ticket Lifecycle
1. New Order Arrives
- A new ticket card appears in the KDS.
- An audio alert plays (if enabled).
- The ticket timer starts counting.
2. Item Status Management
Each item on a ticket has a status:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Not fired | Item is part of the order but hasn't been sent to the kitchen yet (course hold). It stays hidden from the KDS until the course is released. |
| Queued | Item is in the queue and will be prepared |
| Done | Item has been prepared and is ready |
Kitchen staff can:
- Mark as done when preparation is complete (tap an item to toggle it between queued and done)
- Hold / Resume a ticket to flag its active items with a visual Held badge, for example while waiting on ingredients or clarifying an order. Held items stay visible on the display and keep their place in the queue.
Course holds (
not fired) and the visual Hold flag are two separate concepts: a course hold hides an item from the KDS entirely until it is released, while a Hold flag keeps the item on the kitchen screen with a Held badge.
3. Ticket Completion
A ticket is considered complete when all its items are marked as done:
- Completed tickets auto-dismiss after a configurable time period.
- Staff can manually dismiss tickets.
- Audio alert silence after all items are marked.
4. Bumping
The Bump action removes a ticket from the active display:
- Manual bump: Staff clicks bump to dismiss.
- Auto bump: Configurable auto-dismiss after all items done.
- Force bump: Override to remove stuck tickets.
Station Routing
When station routing is enabled, items can be automatically routed to specific kitchen stations:
| Station Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Hot | Hot food preparation (grill, stove) |
| Cold | Cold food preparation (salads, cold appetizers) |
| Grill | Grill station (steaks, burgers) |
| Fry | Fry station (fries, fried items) |
| Bar | Drink preparation (bar orders) |
| Dessert | Dessert station |
| Expo | Expo/pass station for final assembly |
| General | General purpose station |
Each station sees only the tickets routed to it, reducing noise and improving focus.
Urgency Indicators
Tickets are color-coded based on elapsed time:
| Status | Time Elapsed | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Under target time | Green/default |
| Warning | Approaching target | Yellow/amber |
| Urgent | Past target time | Red |
The target time is configurable in KDS settings (kds_target_ticket_minutes).
Audio Alerts
- New order ping: Plays when a new ticket arrives (configurable).
- Silence after all tickets are acknowledged.
- Use Bell / BellOff toggle to mute/unmute.
KDS Settings
Configure the KDS at POS > Settings > KDS (/pos/[branchId]/settings/kds):
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Enable KDS | Turn KDS on/off |
| Enable station routing | Route items to specific stations |
| Target ticket time | Expected preparation time in minutes |
| Default layout | Grid, List, or Station view |
| Audio alerts | Enable/disable new-order sound |
| Auto-dismiss seconds | Time after completion before ticket auto-dismisses |
| Ticket style | Compact, Detailed, or Large Text |
| Font size | Normal, Large, or Extra Large |
Filters
The KDS provides several filter options:
| Filter | Options |
|---|---|
| Order type | All, Dine-in, Counter, WhatsApp |
| Status | Active, Completed |
| Station | Specific station (if station routing enabled) |
Full-Screen Display
The KDS has a dedicated full-screen display mode at /pos/[branchId]/kds/display for mounting on kitchen screens without browser chrome distractions.
Related Documentation
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