KOT Software for Restaurants: How Kitchen Order Tickets Work

KOT software and printing for restaurants: what a kitchen order ticket does, how to route orders to each station, and what to test before you go live.

What a KOT does

A kitchen order ticket (KOT) is the slip or screen that tells the kitchen what to cook. When it's printed the moment an order is placed, the kitchen starts on time and the front of house has a record of what was sent.

When KOTs are written by hand, handwriting, delays, and lost slips become a daily problem during rush hour. A POS that prints KOTs automatically removes most of that.

Single printer or multiple stations

Small outlets often send everything to one kitchen printer. Larger outlets split the work: the bar gets drinks, the main kitchen gets mains, and the dessert station gets its own orders.

Cost-center-wise KOT printing lets you assign a printer to each station. Each item on the order is sent to the station that prepares it. That way the bar isn't printing tandoor orders and the kitchen isn't printing cocktails.

Kitchen display screens are an alternative or addition. They show orders on a screen with live status and prep time, which can replace paper for busy kitchens.

How to set up KOT routing

1. Map each menu category to a station. Every item should belong to exactly one station.
2. Assign a printer to each station. Test that each printer receives its own items and nothing else.
3. Test a full order. Send a mixed order with items from every station and check each printout.
4. Test a change. Edit an order, add an item, and cancel an item. Confirm the kitchen receives the change.
5. Plan for a failed printer. Know how to reprint a KOT, and know which station to switch to if a printer goes offline.

How DPOS handles KOT printing

DPOS supports cost-center-wise KOT printing. You can assign a dedicated printer to each cost center, such as bar, kitchen, or dessert station. Every KOT syncs back to the master POS, so you can track all orders from one place. DPOS also works with kitchen display screens, which show live order status and prep time. You can see the details on the POS & billing page and the integrations page.

Questions to ask a vendor

• Can I assign a separate printer to each station?
• Does each item route automatically to the right station, or do staff have to choose?
• Are edits and cancellations sent to the kitchen?
• Can I reprint a KOT if a printer jams or runs out of paper?
• Do printed KOTs and the POS stay in sync during an internet outage?
• Which printer models are supported?

Mistakes to avoid

• One printer for every station. The kitchen wastes time sorting slips that aren't theirs.
• Forgetting cancellations. A cancelled item that is still cooked is a direct cost.
• No backup route. If the main kitchen printer fails at peak time, you need a fallback.
• Untested menu categories. A new item with no station assigned can disappear from the kitchen entirely.

Next steps

If you want to test KOT routing with your own stations, book a free DPOS demo. We can set up printers for your stations and run a sample order through each one.

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