Show default option values on the Kitchen Display
By default, the Kitchen Display (KDS) only lists the options a customer actively changed — a topping they added or removed. Items left on their pre-selected defaults show nothing extra, because the kitchen is assumed to know the standard recipe.
Show Default Options changes that. With it on, the KDS also lists each item's default option values — the toppings, sauces or other options that come pre-selected on the product. That helps new kitchen staff, and any menu where the standard build isn't obvious at a glance.
Note: This setting only controls what the kitchen display and kitchen receipts show. It does not change what the customer ordered. To change which options are pre-selected in the first place, see Default and Substitute Toppings.
Before you start
- You'll need Back Office access to edit Receipt settings.
- The KDS app must be on the latest version. Older versions ignore the setting and keep showing only customer modifications.
- The setting is per store, so select the store in the top-right store switcher first.
Step 1 — Turn on Show Default Options in the Back Office
- Go to Setup > In-Store > Receipts (Store level).
- Find the Show Default Options toggle, described as "Display default option values".
- Turn it on and click Save.
The change applies to new orders. If a kitchen display has been running for a while, refresh it or restart the KDS app so it picks up the new setting.
Note: This toggle has always controlled printed kitchen receipts too. Turning it on for the KDS turns it on for receipts as well — the two stay in sync and there's no separate switch.
Step 2 — Confirm on the KDS
Reload your KDS screen. For any configured product you'll now see the default values under the item name, grouped by option category:
2x Margherita Pizza
Sauce: Tomato
Cheese: Mozzarella
Toppings: Tomato, Basil
+ Extra Olives
- Default values appear in a neutral grey, with no
+or-prefix — they describe what the base product contains, not what the customer changed. - Customer modifications still appear below the defaults in their usual colours (green
+for additions, red-for removals). - Option groups are listed in the same order they appear on the POS.
- If a customer removes a default value (for example, "No Cheese"), the default line for that value is hidden — you'll only see the struck-through
- Cheesemodifier line, so there's no duplication.
What it covers
Defaults display for both:
- Regular products, where the option is set at product level, and
- Size / attribute variants — for example a Medium pizza whose defaults are set on the Medium attribute. The KDS shows the defaults for the size the customer actually ordered.
Expo screens
Defaults appear on both Station and Expo displays. There's no separate Expo toggle — if the setting is on, every kitchen display in the store shows the same defaults.
Troubleshooting
Defaults aren't showing on a size or variant item. Confirm the defaults are set on that size's options, not only at product level. Open the product in Management > Menu > Menu Setup, edit the size under Product Attributes, open Assigned Options, and check the Default (and Active) boxes in the Custom Values dialog. See Default and Substitute Toppings.
The toggle is greyed out or missing. Receipts is a Store-level page. Make sure a store is selected in the top-right switcher — Company level won't show it.
Defaults show on the kitchen ticket but not the screen (or the other way round). Refresh the kitchen display or restart the KDS app so it reloads the store's latest receipt settings.
Common questions
Can I show defaults on one KDS station but not another? Not currently. The setting is store-wide and applies to every Kitchen Display screen in that store. If you need per-screen control, contact support and we'll log it as a feature request.
Will the kitchen display still update orders in real time after I turn this on? Yes. The toggle only changes what's rendered. It doesn't affect how orders are received, bumped, or tracked.