The Ticket Board
Run the cook line on the KDS app, read tickets, mark items done, and bump orders through prep statuses in real time.
The ticket board is the main screen kitchen staff live on. It shows every active ticket for the configured location and station filter, updates in real time, and gives the line simple controls to pace work without losing track of modifiers or order labels.
The KDS app is a dedicated web application signed into with a Kitchen Display service account. It is separate from the POS and the dashboard.
Walkthrough: A Rush-Hour Shift
Open the board
After setup, the device loads directly into the ticket grid. The header shows the location, active station filter, connection status (Live or Polling), and actions to change the screen or sign out.
Read incoming tickets
New tickets appear at the top of the grid with:
- Order label: daily number (
#12), custom name (Table 4), or fallback ID - Order type: take-out, delivery, etc.
- Station: which prep line the ticket belongs to
- Elapsed timer: time since the ticket was created; the ticket border escalates in urgency across the 15-minute window (calm → amber → late)
- Line items: each with quantity, name, and modifiers
Start a ticket
Tap Start ticket on a New ticket. Status moves to In progress so the line knows someone claimed it.
Mark individual items done
Tap a line item to toggle it done / undone. This is useful on multi-item tickets where different components finish at different times, for example, a burger ready before the fries.
Mark ready and complete
When the full ticket is plated:
- Tap Mark ready: status becomes Ready (expo / pickup window).
- Tap Complete: ticket leaves the active board.
Completed and cancelled tickets no longer appear on the live grid.
Ticket Status Flow
| Status | Meaning | Typical action |
|---|---|---|
| New | Just fired from POS | Start ticket |
| In progress | Line is working it | Mark items done, then Mark ready |
| Ready | Food is up / waiting pickup | Complete |
| Completed | Removed from active board | Visible in ticket history |
| Cancelled | Order voided or ticket cancelled | Removed from active board |
The bump workflow is deliberate, each tap is a signal to the rest of the kitchen and to the audit log. Train staff to bump through every step rather than skipping straight to complete.
Connection Status
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Live | Connected to realtime; tickets appear within seconds of POS save |
| Polling | Connection lost; board refreshes every 15 seconds automatically |
If tickets seem stale, check network connectivity on the device. The board recovers automatically when the connection returns.
Screen Controls
| Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Change screen | Switch location or station filter without signing out; you stay signed in and keep working |
| Sign out | Ends the service account session and clears this screen's saved location/station setup |
| Fullscreen | Not available on the kitchen ticket board (see TV-style menu boards) |
After Sign out, the next sign-in requires configuring the screen again. Use Change screen when you only need a different location or station filter.
Completed Tickets & History
Once a ticket is bumped Complete, it leaves the active board. Managers can review it under Sell → Kitchen tickets in the dashboard (see Ticket History).
Bringing a completed ticket back onto the live board is not available in the app yet. (That recall capability exists only via API for integrations today.)