Restaurant step 6: kitchen display, stations and statuses

The kitchen display (KDS) replaces paper tickets: every order from the POS, the apps or the online menu appears on the kitchen screen with its table, order type, options and a timer. In this step you set the order statuses, split the kitchen into stations and open a screen for each station.

Before you start

• Kitchen is switched on in Settings › Business Settings › Modules.
• Your kitchen staff have a user with the Kitchen staff role (step 3). Kitchen-only users land straight on the kitchen display after signing in.

1. Review the order statuses

Every restaurant order moves through a set of statuses. SmartPOS Hub starts you with: Order placed → Confirmed → Preparing → Cooked / baked → Quality check → Ready → Out for delivery → Delivered / Served → Completed, plus Cancelled.

1. Open Restaurant › Restaurant settings. The Order statuses card is at the top.
2. Drag statuses to reorder them. Use Edit to rename a status, choose whether it shows on the kitchen display, whether the customer is notified, and which order types (dine-in, takeaway, delivery) pass through it.
3. Use Add status for an extra step, or Delete for one you don’t use (statuses with orders can’t be deleted).
4. Reset to defaults brings back the original list.

/modules/restaurant/settings

Order statuses with their badges: which appear in the kitchen, which notify the customer, and which order types use them.

2. Create stations and map categories

A station is one part of the kitchen with its own screen: Pizza Oven, Grill, Fry line, Bar, Desserts.

1. In Restaurant settings › Kitchen stations, click Add station (or Import prebuilt).
2. Name the station and pick the categories and sub-categories it prepares. Under “Also send these products” add single items that belong elsewhere.
3. Save, and repeat for each station.
4. Check Coverage check: it lists categories that have no station. Pick a station for each in the Send to station column.
5. In the Kitchen display card, choose a Default station for anything not mapped.

/modules/restaurant/settings

Stations, the five routing rules and the coverage check for categories without a station.

3. Open a screen for each station

1. Open Restaurant › Kitchen display and click Station screens.
2. For each branch you see All stations plus one row per station, each with a QR code, Open in new window and Copy link.
3. On the kitchen tablet, scan the QR code (or open the link) and sign in with the kitchen user. On a PC with a second monitor, drag the window there and press F11.

/modules/kitchen

Each station screen has its own link and QR code, per branch.

4. Work the kitchen display

/modules/kitchen

Tickets show the order type, table, options in small text and a timer that turns red when late.

• Start moves the order to Preparing; Bump sends it on to the next status (usually Ready).
• Tick each item as it’s done. With “Move the order on when all items are ticked” on, the last tick moves the order on by itself.
• Filter by station, status or location at the top. Recall brings back a bumped order, Sound on plays a sound for new tickets, Full screen hides everything else.
• Customer order-status screen opens a board for a TV that shows order numbers and waiting times to guests.

The kitchen display on a phone browser and in the SmartPOS Business app.

Kitchen display settings

In Restaurant settings › Kitchen display you can set Amber after (minutes), Red / late after (minutes), Refresh every (seconds), Hide tickets older than (hours), the Default station, Sound on new tickets, and Only POS orders ticked “Kitchen order” go to the kitchen (leave off to send every restaurant order). Click Save at the bottom.

Next step

Step 7: Order types, Orders board and delivery

Screens and displays