Creating Kitchen Stations

Creating Kitchen Stations

Kitchen Stations in EquiBillBook help organize your kitchen operations by assigning specific stations to handle different types of food items. This guide will walk you through creating kitchen stations to streamline your restaurant's order preparation workflow.

What are Kitchen Stations?

Kitchen Stations are designated areas or sections in your kitchen that handle specific categories of food items. Each station can be assigned to different item categories (like Appetizers, Main Course, Desserts, Beverages, etc.) and can be linked to specific printers for KOT (Kitchen Order Ticket) printing. This helps organize orders and ensures items are prepared at the right station.

Accessing the Kitchen Stations Module

To create a new kitchen station:

1. Navigate to Settings from the main menu
2. Click on Kitchen Stations or go to Restaurant Settings → Kitchen Stations
3. Click the "Add Station" or "Create New" button

Basic Station Information

Fill in the essential details:

• Station Name: Enter a descriptive name for the station (e.g., "Main Kitchen", "Salad Station", "Dessert Station", "Beverage Station")
• Station Type: Select a station type from the dropdown (e.g., "Main", "Cold Station", "Hot Station", "Beverage Station"). You can also create a new station type by clicking the "+" button next to the dropdown
• Categories: Select one or more item categories that this station will handle. This determines which items from KOTs will be assigned to this station

Station Configuration

Configure additional settings:

• Printer Assignment: (Optional) Assign a specific printer to this station for KOT printing. This ensures orders are printed at the correct location
• Active Status: Enable or disable the station. Inactive stations won't receive new orders

Category Assignment

When assigning categories to a station:

• Select multiple categories if the station handles different types of items
• Ensure each category is assigned to at least one active station
• You can assign the same category to multiple stations if needed
• Items from assigned categories will automatically route to this station when KOTs are created

Saving the Station

After filling in all necessary details:

1. Review all the information entered
2. Click "Save" to save and return to the list, or
3. Click "Save & Add Another" to save and create another station immediately
4. The station will be saved and available for KOT assignment

Best Practices

• Use clear, descriptive names that match your kitchen layout
• Create station types that reflect your kitchen organization (e.g., "Hot Station", "Cold Station", "Grill Station")
• Assign categories logically based on your kitchen workflow
• Ensure all item categories are assigned to at least one active station
• Assign printers to stations for efficient KOT printing
• Keep station names consistent across all branches if you have multiple locations

Next Steps

After creating kitchen stations, you can:

• Set up station types for better organization
• Assign categories to stations for automatic KOT routing
• Configure printers for each station
• View and manage stations from the Kitchen Stations list
• Use stations in KOT creation and kitchen display systems