With Kitchen selected in the product panel, select Maintenance > Hardware > Kitchen Station to access the Kitchen Station function. Use the Kitchen Station function to enable behavior at the station level. When you create a new kitchen station record, we recommend you always click the 'New' drop-down arrow on the Command panel and select a kitchen station type to create.

Station tab

Use the Station tab to configure the basic behavior for your kitchen station.

Group Bar: Settings

Use the 'Settings' group bar to define the basic requirements of your kitchen station.

Name — Identifies the kitchen station, up to 40 characters. We recommend you use a name that is descriptive of the task.

Type — Specifies the type of kitchen station. You should select the type from the 'New drop-down arrow' when you create a new kitchen station record.

Expo — Used for an expo station.

Production — Used for a production station.

Customer order display — Used for a customer order display.

Backup station — Specifies the backup station to which you can reroute items from this kitchen station. Prior to AK v17.2, if you do not define a backup station, then by default, the orders reroute to the kitchen station with the lowest ID, or the first created kitchen station. As of AK v17.2, if you do not define a backup station to which to reroute items, the system does not reroute items and disables kitchen redundancy. Related Requirements: You must add the Show Controller Management Screen command to a bump bar in use in Maintenance > Hardware > Bumpbar Layout, or to a kitchen screen in use.

Staff level change backup station — Specifies the station to serve as backup for this station when you change staff levels in the Front-of-House. Documented Version: AK v19.13.

Hidden — Suppresses the station from the video screen so you cannot toggle to it.

Master bump — Specifies this station can bump all unbumped orders from all other stations in cases where the production employee forgets to bump an item. Related Options: This option enables the 'Master bump all stations' option and the 'Master Bump Stations' tab.

Master bump all stations — Specifies whether items and orders can activate, start, and bump from all stations. You would typically select this for expo stations. If you select this option for a production station, then the items from the order is bumped from all production station. Required Options: You must select 'Master bump' to enable this option.

Allow toggling — Enables this kitchen station to toggle to and display the kitchen screen of any other station, regardless if it is a virtual station or one that is physically attached to a terminal. Related Options: Selecting this option enables 'Station allowed to toggle to.' Documented Version: AK v16.2.

Station allowed to toggle to — Specifies the station to which you can toggle from this station. Select a single station or 'All stations' to allow this station to toggle to any other station. 'All stations' is selected by default. Required Options: You must select 'Allow toggling' to enable this option. Related Options: If you selected 'Exclude from toggling to' under the 'Display options' group bar, in Maintenance > Hardware > Kitchen Screen, and you selected the same station to which this station can toggle, you will not be able to toggle to that station. Documented Version: AK v16.2.

Group Bar: Items

Use the 'Items' group bar to define behavior at the item level for the kitchen station.

Auto-start all items — Automatically starts all items that are routed to this station. This option is ONLY used when you have a 'production' kitchen screen type and you do no use a 'Production start only' kitchen screen type.

Auto-prepare all items — Automatically bumps items from this production station.

Combine independent modifiers with parent item — Combines independent modifiers with their parent item.

Group Bar: Orders

Use the 'Orders' group bar to define behavior at the order level for the kitchen station.

Defer bump with multiple courses — Does not allow you to bump an order with multiple courses.

Auto-start production order view cell — Automatically starts all items on the order when you start an order from a production station when you use the Start command either with a bump bar or a touch screen terminal. If cleared, only the activated items start and the delayed items start based on their cook delay time. Related Requirements: This feature only affects a 'Production order view' kitchen screen type.

Hide unfinalized orders — Displays orders at this station only if the order contains at least one finalized item. This option only affects real time routing. Related Options: This option is only beneficial when you select 'One Behind' or 'Immediate' from the 'Routing Method' drop-down list in Maintenance > Kitchen Configuration > Kitchen Settings.

Add-on merge method — Enables you to combine add-on orders on this station.

Use Kitchen Settings merge method — Allows the system to follow the merge method configured in the 'Add-Ons' group bar in Kitchen Settings.

No merging on this station — Does not merge add-on orders with the originating order, for this station.

Merge add-ons for active orders if time permits — Causes all add-on items to merge with the originating order if time permits, for this station.

Merge add-ons for active orders — Causes all add-on items to merge with the originating order, for this station.

Merge add-ons for bumped and active orders — Causes all add-on items to merge with the originating order, even if the originating order is bumped, for this station.

Bump fully prepared orders — Automatically bumps an order from a 'production' kitchen station when you bump the order with a Bump command from a bump bar or a touch screen terminal. Use this option when you do not have a dedicated expo station and employees get their own orders. This option is not available for a Customer order display kitchen station type.

Allow bump if not finalized — Enables you to bump an order from this station, if you do not assign an order mode to the order in the POS.

Can only bump tendered orders — Prevents the bumping of an item or order from this screen until the order is fully tendered on the POS. The option to bump the item or order does not appear on the flyout window on the video screen.

Can only bump closed orders — Prevents you from bumping an order until the check is closed in the POS. Use this feature as a safeguard for a call-in ordering environment where you cannot bump the order until the guest physically arrives at the location and pays for their order.

Exclusion category — Specifies the category of items for which you can either include or exclude based on the course in effect.

Exclusion category method — Determines whether to include or exclude items based on the course in effect.

All items in the course must be in the exclusion category

Any items in the course must not be in the exclusion category

Use this expo to expedite orders — Adds an additional step in the bumping process after the expo bump. Use this option for environments that have an additional station for servers or food runners. After the expo bumps the order, the system clears the order from the expediter screen but remains on the additional station. Then once the food runner serves the order and bumps the order, the order no longer appears as active on all kitchen stations.

Group Bar: Printing

Use the 'Printing' group bar to define automatic printing behavior for the kitchen station.

Auto-print chit when bumped — Automatically prints a chit at the expo station when you bump the order from a production station. Related Options: This option enables 'Auto-print on bump if this station initiates.' Documented Version: AK v16.2.

Auto-print on bump if this station initiates — Automatically prints a kitchen chit to the local printer only if this station initiates the bump from this station. If the bump initiates from a station with master bump capabilities, a kitchen chit does not print. Required Options: You must select 'Auto-print chit when bumped' to enable this option. Documented Version: AK v16.2.

Auto-print chit when prepared — Automatically prints a chit to the local printer when you bump an order from a production kitchen screen type.

Auto-print on first item prepared — Automatically prints a chit to the local printer when you bump the first item defined within a course from a production kitchen screen type.

Auto-print expo chit on order displayed — Automatically prints a chit to the local printer when you apply an order mode to a check in the POS. Related Options: This option overrides the 'Auto-print on first item prepared' option.

Auto-print expo chit on order prepared — Automatically prints the expo chit to the local printer when you bump an order from a production kitchen screen type.

Auto-print expo chit on order bumped — Automatically prints the expo chit to the local printer when you bump an order from an expo kitchen screen type.

Auto-print item on label when bumped — Automatically prints the label to the local printer when you bump an order from an expo kitchen screen type.

Print single item chit on bump — Enables you to print a single item on a chit at the local printer when you bump the item.

Print single item chit on production prepared — Automatically prints a chit to the local printer when you bump a single item from a production station.

Limit to Courses tab

Use the Limit to Courses tab if you want to limit the courses that appear on a kitchen screen. This is typically used when you want one expo screen to display appetizers and desserts and another expo screen to display entrees.

Group Bar: Limit this station to only show these courses

Available — Lists the courses from which you can choose when limiting a kitchen station by course.

Included — Lists the courses by which you are limiting a kitchen station.

Additional Start Stations tab

Group Bar: Start on these stations when started on this station

Available stations — Lists the stations from which you can choose for starting an order.

Additional stations to start on — Lists the stations from which you allow this station to automatically start orders.

Master Bump Stations tab

Use the Master Bump Stations tab to specify the station to which you want to fully bump to a second station. You can use this when you master bump from one expo station to another expo station. You must select 'Master bump' on the Station tab to enable this tab.

Group Bar: Master Bump Stations

Available — Lists the stations to which you can master bump.

Included — List the stations for which you are already assigned master bump capabilities.