Knowledge base
How does a KDS or kitchen display work in a restaurant?
Short answer
A Kitchen Display System (KDS) is a digital kitchen screen that shows incoming orders with their details. If it is connected to the POS or order system, orders from the POS and from digital ordering channels appear on the kitchen display by themselves. Foodyx KDS receives kitchen orders through POSHUB from Foodyx POS.
What is a KDS?
KDS stands for Kitchen Display System: a screen in the kitchen where orders appear digitally. It is a digital alternative to the printed kitchen ticket, or an addition to it.
The kitchen team sees for each order what needs to be made, with the guest's choices for each product. Often the team also completes an order on the screen itself once it is ready.
How does an order reach the kitchen display?
An order starts at the POS or in an ordering channel. The POS or order system processes it and sends it on to the kitchen display. At Foodyx, orders at the counter, in the restaurant and by phone are entered directly in Foodyx POS; the connected channels and Mobile POS and QR Ordering exchange their orders with Foodyx POS through POSHUB. For the kitchen display, Foodyx POS sends the order through POSHUB to Foodyx KDS; a kitchen printer receives it from Foodyx POS.
Connected ordering channels
- Foodyx Webshop
- Kiosk
- Thuisbezorgd
- Uber Eats
POSHUB
Connected in both directions
- Foodyx Mobile POS
- QR Ordering
- Tablet Menu
- Foodyx KDS
Foodyx POS
Directly in Foodyx POS
- Counter
- Restaurant
- Phone
- Kitchen printer
KDS compared with a kitchen printer
A kitchen printer prints every order as a ticket, and the kitchen works from paper. A KDS shows the order digitally and keeps several open orders in view at the same time.
Neither is always better. It depends on your kitchen, your menu and how your team works, and you can also combine them.
At Foodyx, Foodyx POS sends an order to the right kitchen printer, through POSHUB to Foodyx KDS, or to both, according to your own set-up.
Which orders can appear on a KDS?
That depends on your POS system's integrations. A KDS shows the orders the POS or order system sends on; a channel that is not connected to the POS does not appear on it.
Foodyx KDS receives its orders through POSHUB from Foodyx POS: what your team enters in the POS, and what Foodyx Webshop, Kiosk, QR Ordering, Mobile POS, Thuisbezorgd and Uber Eats first bring into Foodyx POS through POSHUB. Each order shows which channel it came from.
What are the benefits of a digital kitchen display?
The benefits are mainly practical:
- All open orders in one digital overview
- Less reliance on loose tickets
- Choices readable for every product
- The same order information from every connected channel
- An overview during a busy service
How does Foodyx KDS work?
On Foodyx KDS each order has its own card, in the right order. For each order the kitchen sees the order number, whether the guest is taking away or eating in, when the order came in and how long it has been running, which channel it came from and the products with their choices. You tick off each product, and the team marks the order as ready. Kitchen times show up in POS Analytics.
Foodyx KDS receives the orders through POSHUB from Foodyx POS: what your team enters there and what comes in through POSHUB from the connected channels. Read also how to bring orders from multiple channels into one POS and see all orders together in one POS system.
What should you look out for with a KDS?
These questions help when choosing and setting up a kitchen display. Where they concern Foodyx, they say how it works there.
Which ordering channels appear on it?
Check that every channel you use reaches the screen through the POS, including online and platform orders. At Foodyx these are the restaurant, Foodyx Webshop, Kiosk, QR Ordering, Mobile POS, Thuisbezorgd and Uber Eats.
What order information does the kitchen see?
Check that the screen shows what your team needs, such as the order type and the time. Foodyx KDS shows, among other things, the order number, takeaway or eat-in, the arrival time, the running time and the channel.
How are choices and extras shown?
Sides, sauces and other choices need to be easy to read with the product. On Foodyx KDS, choices and extras are shown with every product.
Can you divide screens by workstation?
Ask whether you can set up several screens or stations, for example per preparation area, and how orders are divided between them.
How does the team complete an order?
Check how a product or order is ticked off and what happens next. On Foodyx KDS you tick off products and the team marks the order as ready.
Do you need printers as well?
Some kitchens work with a screen only, others combine a screen and a printer. At Foodyx, an order can go to a kitchen printer, to Foodyx KDS or to both.
Does the screen fit your kitchen?
Think about where the screen goes, whether it can be seen from the workstations, and the route of a finished order to the pick-up point.
Can you see kitchen times afterwards?
Check whether you can see afterwards how long orders took in the kitchen. At Foodyx, kitchen times show up in POS Analytics.
Frequently asked questions
What does KDS mean?
KDS stands for Kitchen Display System: a digital kitchen screen on which orders appear. It is often simply called a kitchen display.
Does every order appear on the kitchen display automatically?
Only orders that come in through the POS or order system. At Foodyx, Foodyx POS sends orders through POSHUB to Foodyx KDS, depending on your set-up: what your team enters in the POS and what comes in through POSHUB from the connected channels.
Can a KDS replace kitchen printers?
It can, but it doesn't have to. Some kitchens work with a screen only, others keep a printer as an addition. At Foodyx, an order can go to a kitchen printer, to Foodyx KDS or to both.
Can Thuisbezorgd and Uber Eats orders appear on the KDS?
If the platforms are connected to your POS system, yes. At Foodyx, Thuisbezorgd and Uber Eats orders arrive in Foodyx POS through POSHUB, and Foodyx POS sends them through POSHUB to Foodyx KDS, among your other orders.
Can I get several ordering channels on the same kitchen display?
Yes, if they are all connected to the same POS. On Foodyx KDS, orders from the restaurant, the webshop, the kiosk and ordering platforms appear on one screen, with the channel shown.
Is a KDS only for large restaurants?
No. Whether a kitchen display fits depends less on the size of your business than on how your kitchen works: the number of channels, how busy it gets and how your team handles orders. A small kitchen can work with a screen too, or stay with printers.
Further reading
Orders from multiple channels in one POS
All ordering channels in one POS and kitchen flow.
Self-service kiosk and POS system
How a kiosk order reaches the POS and the kitchen.
QR ordering with POS and kitchen
Ordering from the guest's own phone, connected to the POS.
Own ordering website with a POS system
Online orders straight to the POS and kitchen.
Foodyx KDS
All orders clearly displayed on one kitchen display.
All orders in one POS system
How orders from all your channels come together.
See Foodyx KDS in your kitchen?
Look at Foodyx KDS or book a demo if you want to see how orders from your POS and ordering channels reach the kitchen.