Configuring tickets

This section provides procedures and information about configuring kitchen tickets.

Color-coding items and modifiers on KDS tickets

Preparing orders accurately and efficiently can be an ongoing challenge, and errors can be expensive. With the KDS, you can use color to make the differences and similarities between menu items or modifier options easier to identify and act on.

In addition, this Toast Central article provides an overview of customizing colors for KDS devices.

Using KDS colors

Examples of how you can use color-coding on your KDS tickets follow.

  • You can identify a critical difference between menu items, such as the item size, by assigning a different color to each item. The following illustration shows KDS tickets for an order with large and small pizza items, before and after you assign different KDS colors to the items.

    A comparison of two pairs of tickets, each for a large pizza and a small pizza. The first pair does not have color-coding for large or small, the second pair does.

  • You can alert employees to a guest's health concerns by assigning colors to your allergy modifiers. The following illustration shows KDS tickets for a pizza order that includes an allergy alert, before and after you assign a KDS color to the allergy modifier.

    A comparison of two tickets. The first does not have color-coding for an allergy modifier, the second does.

  • You can make the assembly of an item that contains multiple ingredients faster and more accurate by assigning colors to each modifier or to each category of modifiers. The following illustration shows KDS tickets for pizza items that have multiple toppings, before and after you assign different KDS colors to the cheeses, sauces, vegetables, and meats in your toppings modifier group.

    A comparison of two pairs of tickets, each for a large pizza and a small pizza. The first pair does not have color-coding for modifiers, the second pair does.

  • You can make items and modifiers that get sent to multiple prep stations easier to identify and assign. The following illustration shows a ticket for sandwiches and salads that gets sent to both your Grill/Fry and Cold prep stations, before and after you assign a KDS color to the salad items and modifiers that are the responsibility of the Cold station.

    A comparison of two tickets, each for sandwiches and salads. The first ticket does not have color-coding for salad items and sides, the second ticket does.

    In this example, you could also assign colors to the different salad dressing submodifiers—yellow for ranch and blue for blue cheese, say—to make them easier to distinguish and fulfill accurately.

Note

You cannot configure KDS colors for pre and post modifiers.

Configure KDS colors

To configure your menu items and modifier options to include a custom color background, you must have the Restaurant Admin > 4.5 Edit Full Menu access permission.

Follow one of these procedures.

To configure a KDS color for a menu item

  1. Determine the menu items that you want to highlight with color coding, and the color you want to assign to each one.

  2. Access Toast Web and then choose Menus > Menu management > Edit menus.

  3. Click the name of the menu, then the menu group, and then the menu item that you want to update.

  4. Next to the KDS Color, click the square tile. The color palette opens.

    A dialog with 29 color choices.

  5. Select the color that you want to assign to the menu item.

  6. Save and publish your changes.

To configure a KDS color for a modifier

  1. Determine the modifier options that you want to highlight with color coding, and the color you want to assign to each one.

  2. Access Toast Web and then choose Menus > Menu management > Edit menus.

  3. Click the name of the menu, then the menu group.

    • If the modifier applies to the entire menu group, in the Modifiers section of the page click the name of the modifier group.

    • If the modifier applies to a specific menu item, click the name of the menu item and then in the Modifiers section click the name of the modifier group.

  4. Scroll down to the Modifiers section of the page and then click the name of the modifier that you want to update.

  5. Select Edit Item.

    If the modifier you want to update is a submodifier (such as the salad dressing options for a side salad), in the Modifiers section click the name of the modifier group, then the modifier name, and then select Edit Item.

  6. Next to the KDS Color, click the square tile. The color palette opens.

  7. Select the color that you want to assign to the modifier.

  8. Save and publish your changes.