KDS configuration quick reference

The kitchen display system (KDS) offers a number of options for changing the way information reaches your employees.

This section presents a quick reference guide to the changes you can make to better meet the needs of your back of house employees. A series of tables present options for how the KDS device presents information, how you make a change, whether the setting affects all devices or an individual device, and the access permissions that you need.

KDS notification options

You can signal new and changed orders to back of house employees in different ways by setting the options described in the following table.

If you want to... Toast Web (All devices) Toast POS home screen (Each device) Required Permission

Play a sound when a new ticket appears, a ticket is ready for fulfillment at an expediter KDS devices, an item is changed, and an item is marked as void

 

Setup > Device Setup > New Ticket Sound

Device Setup > 7.3 KDS and Order Screen Setup

Flash changed tickets

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices> Kitchen and ticket setup > Flash Changes: Flash changes

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Change ticket colors as they age

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Warning Colors: Enabled

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Print tickets if needed

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Print On Demand: Enable

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

For more information about how to change configuration settings, see Accessing the Toast POS Device Setup screen or Using Toast Web.

KDS interaction options

You define how back of house employees interact with the KDS device to fulfill tickets and view consolidated (All Day) totals by setting the options described in the following table.

If you want to... Toast Web (All devices) Toast POS home screen (Each device) Required Permission

Fulfill complete tickets

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Fulfill Items: Disable

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Fulfill tickets item by item

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Fulfill Items: Enable

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Fulfill with a double tap

  

Setup > Device Setup > Double-tap to Fulfill, Unfulfill

Device Setup > 7.3 KDS and Order Screen Setup

Fulfill with a tap to select then a tap on Fulfill

  

Setup > Device Setup > Double-tap to Fulfill, Unfulfill

Device Setup > 7.3 KDS and Order Screen Setup

Unfulfill with a double tap

  

Setup > Device Setup > Double-tap to Fulfill, Unfulfill

Device Setup > 7.3 KDS and Order Screen Setup

Unfulfill with a tap to select then a tap on Unfulfill

  

Setup > Device Setup > Double-tap to Fulfill, Unfulfill

Device Setup > 7.3 KDS and Order Screen Setup

Add the option to see item totals in All Day Display

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > All Day Display: Yes, enable All Day Display, grouped by item...

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Add the option to see modifier and item totals in All Day Display

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > All Day Display: Yes, enable All Day Display, grouped by item and...

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

For more information about how to change configuration settings, see Accessing the Toast POS Device Setup screen or Using Toast Web.

KDS ticket contents

You define what information appears on tickets by setting the options described in the following table.

If you want to... Toast Web (All devices) Toast POS home screen (Each device) Required Permission

See other prep stations working on ticket items

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Other Stations: For each ticket, list...

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

See all courses fired at once and the status of each course

Kitchen > Pacing > Meal pacing > Course Pacing: Enable course pacing > Sending Courses: Send all courses individually > Previous Course Status: Show the status...

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Color-code menu items

Menus > Bulk management > Advanced properties > {menu} > {menu group} > {menu item} > KDS Color

 

Restaurant Admin > 4.5 Edit Full Menu

Color-code modifier options

Menus > Bulk management > Advanced properties > {menu} > {menu group} > {menu item} > {modifier group} > {modifier} > KDS Color

 

Restaurant Admin > 4.5 Edit Full Menu

Customize names for menu items

Menus > Bulk management > Advanced properties > {menu} > {menu group} > {menu item} > Kitchen Name

 

Restaurant Admin > 4.5 Edit Full Menu

Customize names for modifiers

Menus > Bulk management > Advanced properties > {menu} > {menu group} > {menu item} > {modifier group} > {modifier} > Kitchen Name

 

Restaurant Admin > 4.5 Edit Full Menu

Customize other labels

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Kitchen Names fields

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Add a the tab name on tickets sent by Quick Order

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Prompt for tab name? (Quick Order only): On

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

Show the dining option on tickets sent by Quick Order when a default dining option is not set

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Prompt for Dining Option: Yes

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

Always show the dining option

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Always Print and Show Dining Option: Yes

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

For more information about how to change configuration settings, see Using Toast Web.

KDS ticket layout

You can change how order information appears on tickets by setting the options described in the following table.

If you want to... Toast Web (All devices) Toast POS home screen (Each device) Required Permission

See the check number as the most prominent identifier in ticket headers

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > KDS Ticket Headers: Check number

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

See the table number (or tab name) as the most prominent identifier in ticket headers

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > KDS Ticket Headers: Table number

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

See lines with totals for identical items in an order

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Consolidate menu items: On

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

See every item on its own line

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Consolidate menu items: Off

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

See identical items consolidated into a single ticket with the quantity number when using separate kitchen tickets for each item

You need to change the following settings:

  1. Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Consolidate menu items: On

  2. Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Individual Item Tickets Order > KDS Settings: Display each item on individual tickets...

  3. Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Consolidate Items with Multiple Quantities: Yes

 

Web Setup > Restaurant Operations Setup

Web Setup > Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Have a separate ticket for each item (example: tapas-style delivery)

You need to change the following settings:

  1. Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Individual Item Tickets > KDS Settings: Display each item on individual tickets...

  2. Kitchen > Pacing > Meal pacing > Course Pacing: Enable course pacing > Sending Courses: Send all courses individually >Previous Course Status: unchecked

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Have one ticket for all items sent in an order

Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup > Individual Item Tickets > KDS Settings: Display all items...

 

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

See modifiers on separate lines

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Modifier display mode: Vertical

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

See modifiers in a comma separated list

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Modifier display mode: Horizontal

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

See modifiers listed by sort order

Note

Using the Sort Order setting to sort modifiers on kitchen tickets is in limited release.

You need to change the following settings:

  1. Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Modifier display mode: Vertical or Horizontal

  2. On the modifier's details page, a Sort Order is assigned. This can also be done on the Menus > Bulk Management > Advanced properties page and using the Show/Hide dropdown menu to choose Sort Order.

    Note

    The assigned Sort Order overrides the Modifier group sorting, Modifier display order, and Display Order Priority settings for kitchen tickets.

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

See modifiers listed by modifier group display ordering priority in a comma-separated list in sequence selected

You need to change the following settings:

  1. Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Modifier ordering priority: On

    Note

    For KDS devices using legacy dynamic view and printed kitchen tickets, this setting is always treated as if set to On.

  2. On the modifier group's details page, the Display Ordering Priority setting is assigned. For more information, see Understanding modifier group display order.

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

See modifiers listed in the same way they were added to the order

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Modifier group sorting: Display in order modifiers were added

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

See modifiers listed in the same order as they appear within the modifier group in Toast Web

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Modifier group sorting: Display in order modifiers are listed in their modifier group

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

See modifiers on separate lines sequenced first by required modifiers, and then optional modifiers by extra charge amount

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Modifier display mode: Legacy

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

See modifiers in a comma-separated list in the order they were added on the orders screen

Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options > Modifier display mode: Legacy - Flatten

 

Web Setup > 6.6 Restaurant Operations Setup

For more information about how to change configuration settings, see Using Toast Web.

KDS text and ticket size

To assure that every cook can see the tickets on the KDS device clearly, you can change the text size directly on each device. On the KDS device, select the Overflow menu (the ⋮ icon) and choose Text Size. Changing the text size also changes the size of the tickets and affects how many tickets can appear on the display at one time.

A KDS device with the overflow menu and the text size option selected.

To see the rest of the tickets that are waiting to be fulfilled, you swipe the screen from right to left.

A KDS device with tickets in a grid of four columns and three or four tickets in each column.

Printing options for the KDS

Your kitchen can include one or more printers along with your kitchen display system (KDS) devices. (To ensure continuing operation when the Toast devices are in offline mode, at least one kitchen printer is required.) You configure ticket printing by setting the options described in the following table.

Note

These options assume that printers are already set up for your restaurant and your KDS devices.

  • In Toast Web, you can choose Payments > Checks & receipt setup > Printers and cash drawers and add printers on the Printers and cash drawers page. You then choose Kitchen > Printers, tickets, & KDS devices > Kitchen and ticket setup and configure printers to the Expediter using the Expediter Printer(s) option. Alternatively, choose Kitchen > Kitchen stations > Prep stations, find the row for the prep station you want to change, and choose a printer from the Ticket Printer dropdown. These settings determine where orders taken for guests print.

  • On a KDS device, you can choose Setup > Device Setup > Receipt Printer and define the primary printer. This setting determines where tickets selected manually on that KDS device print.

If you want to... Toast Web (All devices) Toast POS home screen (Each device) Required Permission

Print a selected ticket manually

Kitchen > Printers, screens, & KDS devices > Kitchen > Print On Demand: Enable kitchen staff...

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Print item(s) in a selected ticket manually

Kitchen > Printers, screens, & KDS devices > Kitchen > Fulfill Items: Enable individual item fulfillment

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Print tickets automatically on fulfillment

Setup > Device Setup > Auto-print Fulfilled Tickets

Device Setup > 7.3 KDS and Order Screen Setup

Print expediter tickets automatically when offline

You need to change the following settings:

  1. Kitchen > Printers, screens, & KDS devices > Kitchen > Printing Mode: Only print ... when Toast is in offline mode

  2. Kitchen > Printers, screens, & KDS devices > Kitchen > Expediter Printer(s)

  

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

Print all expediter tickets automatically

You need to change the following settings:

  1. Kitchen > Printers, screens, & KDS devices > Kitchen > Printing Mode: Always print expediter tickets

  2. Kitchen > Printers, screens, & KDS devices > Kitchen > Expediter Printer(s)

  

Web Setup > 6.2 Kitchen / Dining Room Setup

For more information about how to change configuration settings, see Accessing the Toast POS Device Setup screen or Using Toast Web.