Order Display
A second screen for your kitchen or stockroom that shows incoming orders as tickets — updated in real time as sales are completed at the till.
Overview
The Kitchen Display System (KDS) is a real-time order screen for the kitchen. It shows incoming orders as they are placed and lets the chef track progress through a simple three-step workflow. No special hardware is required — any touchscreen computer, tablet or monitor with a web browser will work. Nothing needs to be installed; just open the browser and go to the address below. Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience. The KDS connects to the same server as the POS over your local Wi-Fi network — no internet connection is required.
Hospitality vs Retail mode
The display adapts automatically based on your Business Type setting:
| Hospitality | Retail | |
|---|---|---|
| Display name | 👨🍳 Kitchen Display | 📦 Stockroom Display |
| New ticket button | START ORDER | START PICKING |
| In progress | Preparing Order | Picking... |
| Complete | ORDER COMPLETE | PACKED ✓ |
| Empty state | No pending orders | No pending orders to pick |
In a retail context the stockroom picker sees incoming orders as pick tickets. They work through each one, mark it as Picking when they start, and PACKED when everything is gathered and ready. The cashier at the till is then notified via the Ready to Collect panel.
Opening the kitchen / stockroom display
On any device on the same Wi-Fi network, open a browser and go to:
Enter any valid staff or admin PIN to unlock. The display stays unlocked for the whole session — there is no auto-lock timeout.
Ticket workflow
Each order appears as a ticket card. Tickets progress through three states — the button at the bottom of each ticket drives the workflow:
| Button | Colour | Action |
|---|---|---|
| START ORDER | 🔴 Red | Ticket arrives. Chef taps to begin cooking. Button turns amber. |
| Preparing Order | 🟡 Amber | Order is being prepared. Chef taps when plated and ready. Button turns green. |
| ORDER COMPLETE | 🟢 Green | Order is ready to collect. Button is disabled — no further taps. Ticket stays visible. |
Ticket labels
Each ticket shows a single clear title line identifying the order type and customer:
- ✓ Eat In — Table 5 — James — eat-in order with table number and customer name
- ✓ Takeaway or Takeaway — Sarah — counter collection order
- ✓ Delivery — Dave Herbert — delivery order
Ready to collect — POS notification
When a ticket reaches ORDER COMPLETE, a notification panel slides in from the left side of the POS screen within a few seconds. It shows every completed order with a ✓ Collected button for each one. Tapping Collected on the POS dismisses the entry from both the panel and the KDS. Multiple orders can be collected independently — they do not have to be dismissed in order.
Order timing
Each ticket shows how long ago the order was placed. The timestamp turns amber after 10 minutes and red after 20 minutes, giving the kitchen a visual indicator of waiting times without needing a separate timer.
Connection status
A green dot labelled Connected appears in the top right when the KDS has a live connection to the server. If the connection drops — for example if the server restarts — the dot turns red and the display reconnects automatically within a few seconds. No orders are lost during a brief disconnect.