Most problems with online orders don’t happen on the website, but between the website and the kitchen. The order arrived — but nobody saw it. Or a waiter saw it and forgot to pass it on. Or it went to the email of an owner who’s in a meeting.
A kitchen display solves exactly that.
How orders usually arrive (and why it doesn’t work)
| Method | Problem |
|---|---|
| Nobody checks it during the rush. No sound, no status. | |
| Phone call / SMS | Ties up a person, errors when writing it down, no overview. |
| Viber / WhatsApp group | Orders get lost among messages, no “ready” status. |
| Printer only | Paper gets lost or stuck, no confirmation to the customer. |
| Kitchen display | Sound for every order, clear statuses, the customer gets confirmation. |
What a good kitchen display must have
- A loud alert. Kitchens are noisy. An order has to “ring”.
- Big buttons. The cook has wet or greasy hands — no time for tiny links.
- Clear statuses. New → accepted → ready → collected or delivered.
- Confirmation for the customer. The customer has to know the order was received, otherwise they’ll phone.
- Works on any device. A tablet, an old phone or a computer you already have.
How it works in Restoran Pilot
Installation
Open yourrestaurant.rs/dashboard/kitchen on a tablet or phone and choose Add to home screen. The kitchen display installs as an app (PWA) — no App Store or Google Play needed. On a computer it works in an ordinary browser.
Enabling sound
When you open it, click Enable sound and notifications. Browsers don’t allow sound until the user clicks — that’s why this step is required. After that, every new order is announced with a sound and a push notification, even when the app is closed.
Order flow
- An order arrives — a sound and a card on the screen.
- ✅ Accept or ❌ Reject.
- For delivery the order goes straight into preparation.
- For pickup you choose when it will be ready: 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. The customer sees this.
- 📦 Ready — the food is ready.
- 🚀 Collected, ⚠️ Not collected or ✅ Delivered.
Meanwhile the customer sees a “Waiting for confirmation…” screen, followed by a notification that the order was accepted or rejected.
Tips for setting it up in the kitchen
- Location: where the food is packed, not where it’s cooked. The screen should be visible to the person who completes the order.
- Mount: a wall tablet holder costs little and protects the device from grease and falls.
- Charger: keep the tablet plugged in at all times. Turn off automatic screen lock.
- Internet: stable Wi-Fi in the kitchen. If the signal is weak, a small router or repeater fixes it.
- Permissions: give staff access only to the kitchen, not the whole panel. In Restoran Pilot that’s the Kitchen permission for a user with the Employee role.
How quickly to accept an order
The faster the better — a customer who has just ordered is looking at their phone and waiting. Set an internal rule: every order is accepted or rejected within 2 minutes. With a sound alert that’s easy.
If you have to reject one (out of ingredients, kitchen overloaded), do it straight away — the customer will understand that far more easily than 20 minutes of silence.
Conclusion
Online ordering isn’t just a website. It’s a chain: website → kitchen → customer. The kitchen display is the link most often neglected, and whether the customer comes back depends on it.
The kitchen display is included in the Restoran Pilot package at no extra cost. See also what you need to get started with online ordering.
Frequently asked questions
What is a kitchen display?
A kitchen display (KDS) is a screen in the kitchen where orders appear in real time. Staff accept them, mark them as ready and track their status — no paper and no phone.
Do I need a special device?
No. The Restoran Pilot kitchen display runs in the browser on a tablet, phone or computer, and on a tablet or phone it can be installed as an app (PWA).
What if nobody is looking at the screen?
That’s why there’s a sound alert for every new order and a push notification on the phone, even when the app isn’t open. Sound is enabled with a single click on “Enable sound and notifications”.
How does the customer know the order has been accepted?
After sending the order, the customer sees a “Waiting for confirmation…” screen. As soon as the kitchen clicks Accept or Reject, the customer is notified.
Restoran Pilot
Your own ordering website — 3,000 RSD per month, 0% commission
Customer website, delivery zones, promo codes, kitchen display and admin panel. Hosting and support included.