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Kitchen Areas Management

Based on video walkthroughs, this document describes how to set up and use Kitchen Areas. This module bridges the Back Office (Inventory/Settings) and the Front of House (Order Processing/KDS).

Overview: Kitchen Areas​

A "Kitchen Area" in this system serves two purposes:

  1. Operational Zone (KDS): A screen where chefs see incoming orders (for example, the "Pizza Station" screen only shows pizzas).
  2. Inventory Zone: A storage location. Ingredients can be transferred here from the main warehouse (for example, the "Bar" has its own stock of lemons and vodka).

Key Features:

  • Menu Mapping: Link specific menu categories (for example, Desserts) to specific kitchen areas (for example, Pastry Section).
  • Stock Tracking: View exactly how much stock is sitting in a specific kitchen section.
  • Order Workflow: Chefs can mark items as Preparing and Ready directly from their station screen.

Part 1: Setting Up Kitchen Areas (Back Office)​

Location: Back Office > Kitchen Areas

Guide 1: How to Add a New Kitchen Area​

Objective: Create a digital station for a specific section of your kitchen (for example, "Grill Station").

  1. Initiate: Click the blue (+) ADD KITCHEN button at the top right.
  2. Kitchen Details:
    • Kitchen Name: Enter the name (for example, Grill Section).
  3. Map Menu Categories:
    • You will see a list of your menu categories (for example, Burgers, Pizzas, Drinks).
    • Check the boxes for the categories handled by this station.
    • Example: For "Grill Section", check Burgers and Steaks.
    • Note: If a customer orders a Burger, it will appear on this screen. If they order a Salad, it will go to the Salad Station screen.
  4. Save: Click ADD (or UPDATE).

Guide 2: Managing Kitchen Areas​

  • Edit: Click the Blue Pencil Icon to rename the station or change which menu categories are routed to it.
  • Delete: Click the Red Trash Icon to remove a station. Note: You cannot delete a station if it has active orders or stock assigned to it.

Part 2: Kitchen Stock Management (Inventory Side)​

Location: Back Office > Kitchen Areas > List View

Each kitchen area acts like a mini-warehouse.

Guide 1: How to View Kitchen Stock​

Objective: See what ingredients are physically available in a specific station (for example, "Does the Bar have enough Mint?").

  1. Locate Area: Find the kitchen area in the list (for example, Beverages Section).
  2. Click Stock Icon: Click the Green "Stock" Icon (or list icon) in the actions column.
  3. Review Stock: A page will load showing:
    • Current Quantity: How much is on the shelf.
    • Minimum Quantity: Reorder point.
    • Action Tools: You can record Wastage, view History, or view Batches specific to this station.

(Note: The process for transferring stock TO this kitchen area is covered in the main Inventory Documentation under "Transfers".)

Part 3: Kitchen Display System (Operations Side)​

Location: Click the Blue "ENTER" Button next to a Kitchen Area in the list.

This launches the KDS (Kitchen Display System) view used by the chefs.

Guide 1: How to Process Orders in the Kitchen​

Objective: The chef receives an order and marks it as complete.

  1. Enter Station: Click ENTER on the specific kitchen row (for example, Desserts Section).
  2. View Incoming Orders:
    • Orders appear as "Cards" on the screen.
    • Sorting: Use the "New to Old" or "Old to New" toggle at the top to prioritize tickets.
    • Card Details: Shows Table Number, Waiter Name, Time, and specific Items (for example, Brownie x2).
  3. Start Cooking:
    • Locate the item (for example, Brownie).
    • Click the Pending (Yellow) button.
    • Status changes to Preparing (Blue). This notifies the waiters/manager that food is being made.
  4. Mark as Ready:
    • When the food is plated, click Preparing.
    • Status changes to Ready (Green).
  5. Final Handoff:
    • When the waiter collects the food, click Ready.
    • Status changes to Delivered (Grey). The item disappears from the active view.

Guide 2: Handling Void/Cancelled Orders​

Objective: Identify orders that have been cancelled by the front-of-house to stop cooking.

  1. Visual Alert: If a cashier cancels an order, the Kitchen Card instantly updates.
  2. Void Tag: A bright Red "VOID" Tag appears on the order card header.
  3. Action: The chef must immediately stop preparing those items. The system will usually require the manager to perform "Item Resolution" (Waste vs Return to Stock) on the POS side.