This is the fourth in a 5-part series:
- What Is a Kitchen Display System?
- Who Uses a Kitchen Display System?
- When Should You Get a Kitchen Display System?
- Where Should You Put Your Kitchen Display System?
- How Does a Kitchen Display System Work?
For quick service restaurant owners, coffee shop owners, and staff who need to improve order accuracy, streamline operations, and increase profitability, you’ve likely heard that a kitchen display system is the answer you’re looking for.
What is a Kitchen Display System?
At its core, a Kitchen Display System (KDS) is a smart screen hanging in your restaurant’s kitchen or coffee shop’s bar area that displays each order’s details, such as individual items and modifications, overall status, and more. Think of it like a dedicated employee whose sole purpose is to oversee that all orders get out fast and accurately.
However, it’s way more than just an order tracking system. A KDS makes sure that your front of house, back of house, and back office are in sync, which increases staff satisfaction, streamlines organizational efficiency, and improves data collection for reporting.
Where should you put your kitchen display system?
Most kitchen display systems are about the size of a tablet or iPad (in fact, Table Needs’ KDS functions on a regular iPad). This leaves you with plenty of placement options. Let’s get specific about where most quick service restaurants, coffee shops, and food trucks put their kitchen display systems.
Quick Service Restaurant Kitchen Display System
Before deciding where to put a kitchen display system in your quick service restaurant, first think about your kitchen’s most common workflow. The KDS will need to be easily visible to your kitchen staff no matter what they’re working on so choose a central location. You don’t want anyone to have to physically move around too much just to see the screen.
Depending on the size of your kitchen and the number of stations, you may need more than one kitchen display system. For example, two KDS screens would be best for a quick service restaurant that has a grill and fryer station plus a salad station.
Coffee Shop Kitchen Display System
Coffee shop bars are typically tight spaces full of steam and the occasional spill, which means it’s essential to find a spot that’s both out of the way AND easy to see. For many coffee shops, this means securing the KDS screen on a wall near the cups or placing the screen on a sturdy stand at the finishing station. This way, your staff can easily see the display and check off items as they move through the queue without worrying about damaging the screen.
Food Truck Kitchen Display System
Finding space for everything you need on your food truck is basically its own art form. Fortunately, a kitchen display system doesn’t take up any precious surface space! Hang your KDS on the inside of your truck, preferably away from the grill, fryer, or any other hot spaces (you don’t want to find yourself reaching over a hot grill to check off items). Otherwise, as long as it’s visible to the cook, you’re good to go!
Ready to take your quick service restaurant, coffee shop, or food truck to new levels of efficiency and profitability?
Table Needs Kitchen Display System is designed for quick service restaurants, coffee shops, and food trucks with one goal in mind: helping you provide speedy accurate service that boosts your profits.
Learn more about Table Needs Kitchen Display System today. Hit the link below to schedule a hassle-free demo.
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