Setup guide: Kitchen Categories

Here you can learn to configure Kitchen Categories so that particular items go to specific kitchen printers and Kitchen Displays (KDS).

Before you start

Ensure your menu is set up in the Company.

Assign Kitchen Categories

Note: All products are attached to the Default category when the menu is first created. If you would like to create separate categories so that their respective products (e.g. Dessert, Drinks, Pizza, Pasta) go to their respective KDSs, you can add new ones below.

1. Go to Setup > Menu > Kitchen Categories and click New Kitchen Category.
2. New categories will then be listed under the Kitchen Categories table.

You can now assign products to a Kitchen Category in two ways. Both happen in Management > Menu > Menu Setup:

• In bulk — Open a category, then under Bulk Product Settings choose a Kitchen Printer Category and apply. This assigns every product in that category at once.
• Individually — Open the product, click Edit, and select a Kitchen Printer Category.

Note: A product can only be assigned to one Kitchen Category, but a Kitchen Category can be assigned to multiple Kitchen Printers or KDSs.

Note: (C) after the Kitchen Category name means the category was created at Company level (shared across stores).

Kitchen Printers

Configure which physical printers receive which Kitchen Categories at Setup > In-Store > Kitchen.

• Edit an existing printer to change its assigned Kitchen Categories.
• New Kitchen Printer to add a new physical printer.

Kitchen Displays (KDS)

Configure which Kitchen Displays show which Kitchen Categories at Setup > In-Store > KDS.

• Add Display to add a new KDS station or Expo screen.
• Edit to change the Kitchen Categories shown on an existing display.

Checking that all your products reach a KDS

The KDS list page shows a count next to each Kitchen Category chip — for example, Default · 35 means 35 products are assigned to the Default category. Use this to spot a category that has fewer products than expected.

If any active product in your menu has no Kitchen Category assigned, an amber warning banner appears at the top of the KDS page:

⚠ N active products are not routed to any KDS. These products have no kitchen category assigned and will not appear on any kitchen display.

Click Show products in the banner to see the affected products inline (with their menu category and whether they came from the Company or Store menu). To fix them, go to Management > Menu > Menu Setup and assign a Kitchen Category — either in bulk via Bulk Product Settings on the category, or individually on each product.

Tip: A common cause of unrouted products is bulk-imported items that were created before any Kitchen Category existed. Once you assign one, the warning banner will disappear on the next page load.