Kitchen progress, tickets and safe reprints

Kitchen preparation, waiter service and ticket printing are related but separate parts of a restaurant order. A ticket can be printed while its food is still being prepared. A dish can be ready while its paper-printing record needs attention. Read the actual order, preparation and printing states rather than treating one status as proof of all three.

Review changes before dispatch

Open the correct table or takeaway order. Check dishes, quantities and preparation notes, including changes to dishes already sent. Use Send to kitchen or the kitchen action offered for the order only after that review.

Wait for the saved result. A response saying there are no new kitchen changes does not require a new food order. If dispatch times out, inspect the existing order and its kitchen tickets after reconnecting before resending anything. Tell the kitchen about an uncertain result instead of generating another order to force a print.

Follow food preparation

Open Kitchen display when enabled and authorised. Use the available station and status filters to find the correct ticket. Read its table/order reference, quantities and dish notes before starting work.

Use Start preparing or Mark ready only when those actions are available and match the physical work. The waiter then follows the ready-to-serve workflow and records service through the offered controls after delivering to the correct table. A takeaway packing tag is not a preparation-complete state.

Review paper-ticket status

Open Kitchen ticket queue where kitchen-ticket printing and the required access are enabled. Review the ticket’s station and printing state, such as Pending, Check printer, Failed or Printed. Preparation status remains separate from these printing states.

The correct kitchen station, printer connection and paper settings must be configured before relying on paper dispatch. Use the available printer settings guidance and perform an appropriate test with the restaurant’s actual equipment. This guide does not certify that every printer model or device connection is supported.

Handle uncertain printing

For a ticket marked printing or an uncertain result, check the physical printer and kitchen first. If the paper already exists, do not send a duplicate food order. Follow the queue’s existing acknowledgement or reprint action as appropriate. A requested extra copy is marked REPRINT; staff should recognise it as another copy of existing work.

Printer failure does not undo a saved kitchen dispatch, order or bill. Resolve the printer issue while keeping food preparation and service progress accurate. If the station is wrong or the ticket cannot be found, stop and ask the responsible manager rather than repeatedly dispatching.

Changes and cancellations during service

An authorised order change or cancellation can create additional kitchen change/cancellation tickets. Review the saved result and communicate it to the kitchen. A pending cancellation approval is not a completed cancellation, and leaving the order screen does not cancel food preparation.

Continue with restaurant orders, dish notes and team handoffs. The Distribook Restaurant overview explains the connected counter, floor and owner experience.