A busy kitchen is a sign of a thriving restaurant. It does not matter much where the orders come from – dine-ins, pick-ups, or delivery – the more people order from you, the more revenue you rake in. A consistent flow of orders is good for your restaurant’s bottom line.
That said, a flurry of orders can cause chaos in an ill-equipped kitchen. Without a proper system to sort and manage incoming requests, orders can be lost, preferences overlooked and wrong dishes served, causing severe disgruntlement among your patrons. This could have a tremendously detrimental impact on business.
So, as much as you may desire high demand, you must make sure your restaurant is geared to meet it. You need to put mechanisms in place so that your staff can stay on top of orders, preparing them accurately and dispatching them on time.
What would be of immense help is a Kitchen Display System (KDS) which will automate the ordering process. A KDS is beneficial to your restaurant in so many ways. They connect the key players in the ordering chain, providing a fluid form of communication. They help you and your staff to streamline and organize orders so that you can manage even the heaviest influx. A KDS preempts errors and promotes efficiency. Here is how it does so:
- The kitchen gets the orders instantly
Communication is made a lot faster with a Kitchen Display System. This is especially noticeable with in-house dining, where waiters are able to send an order directly to the kitchen. Traditionally, a waiter would note down an order and walk to the kitchen to convey it to the chefs. On the way they may be stopped by other guests, causing a delay in getting the order across to the kitchen for preparation. The KDS allows the back-of-house staff to receive an order as soon as it is placed, speeding up service. Waiters will no longer have to make their way to the kitchen and can attend to other customer matters. Dining room operations become smoother and more efficient resulting in greater customer satisfaction.
- It provides a pleasant and hassle-free viewing experience
Reading a KDS screen is straightforward, completely eliminating the struggle of deciphering someone else’s handwriting. Illegible handwriting can cause kitchen staff to misread orders resulting in making the wrong dishes. An electronic display is very easy to follow with each item clearly listed out. Errors in terms of reading an order are minimized and customers get what they asked for.
- It is reliable
Paper kitchen order tickets are highly problematic. They can be easily lost or misplaced. It is fairly common for kitchen staff to mistake a new paper ticket for one that they have been working on and so toss it into the pile of completed orders. A little water or oil is all it takes for the writing or print to become smudged. The chances of botching up or overlooking an order placed via a paper ticket are scarily high. A KDS poses no such risks. All pending orders are clearly viewable. Your customers will get what they asked for and on time because the staff has a running record of what is due.
- Special requests and changes are easily accommodated
A KDS has a provision to include notes so that the dish is made according to the customer’s preference. The instructions can be relatively more detailed than on a paper ticket which is limited in space. Did your customer change their mind after you dispatched the order? Not a problem. Alterations made to orders that have already been placed will be updated in real-time on the KDS. The modified order replaces the old one, preempting any confusion over what exactly has been asked for. The KDS makes your restaurant more adaptable to diverse customer needs and changing requests.
- It can be linked to all order channels
Whether the customer uses a kiosk, mobile app, or website or speaks to one of your wait staff, the orders can be channeled directly to the KDS. The kitchen will receive all these requests, regardless of mode, in one place. Your kitchen staff are able to stay on top of the orders and ensure that all of them are fulfilled on time.
Yes, your customers want to enjoy something tasty. However, when they place an order they expect a lot more than flavor – they want accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility. No matter how delicious the dishes you serve may be, if you cannot get your orders right are unable to cater to special requests, or keep guests waiting for an inordinate time, your eatery will not flourish. A Kitchen Display System will give you the speed, precision and adaptability that will fulfill customer expectations and make your restaurant a success.