Implementing new technology solutions in your restaurant can be intimidating. 

How complicated is it to set up? 
How long will it take to train my staff? 
Will it work with my other existing systems? 
Is it worth the cost? 
Does it require new hardware — and if so, how do I know which hardware to buy? 

These are all important questions to ask yourself when evaluating new restaurant tech. The good news is that when it comes to kitchen display systems, modern, tablet-based apps like Fresh KDS are easier to use than you might think. Keep reading to learn more about how an easy-to-use KDS can benefit your restaurant, coffee shop, or food truck.

What Does Fresh KDS Do?

Fresh KDS was one of the first tablet-based kitchen display systems (KDS) on the market and has helped bring the benefits of a KDS to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses. As a POS-agnostic kitchen display system, Fresh KDS seamlessly integrates with dozens of point of sale systems to display orders in the kitchen or food prep station in real time. 
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Fresh KDS improves restaurant operations by: 

• Improving speed of service times, which results in more satisfied customers
• Increasing efficiency, which means you can serve more customers without needing to add additional labor hours
• Reducing the number of preparation mistakes, which leads to lower food cost
• Creating a tighter feedback loop between the kitchen and front of house staff 
• Providing detailed analytics and insights to pinpoint areas for improvement

How Long Does Fresh KDS Setup Take?

Fresh KDS is designed to be easy and quick to set up, and it can usually be done in under 15 minutes. The mobile app can run on most iPads or Android tablets and is downloaded from the Apple App store or Google Play. Fresh KDS works wirelessly, which eliminates the need for complicated wired set ups. And the step-by-step set up guides are written with restaurant operators in mind.

What POS Does Fresh Work With?

Unlike many kitchen display systems, Fresh KDS works with a number of different POS systems. This means that even if you choose to swap out your POS in the future you might be able to keep your kitchen system intact (which could save you thousands of dollars on buying new hardware).

Is Fresh KDS Compatible With Square?

Fresh KDS integrates seamlessly with Square POS, Square Register, and Square for Restaurants. Fresh KDS offers two different types of integrations with Square, including one that can function offline without an internet connection. Fresh KDS offers several advanced features that are not available on Square’s KDS, including iOS compatibility, the ability to manually arrange orders on the screen, speed of service thresholds by order type, and the ability to place orders on hold. 

Does Fresh KDS Work With Clover?

Fresh KDS works with Clover Station, Flex, and Mini using a local network integration that does not require the internet to function. Connecting Clover to Fresh KDS is similar to setting up a printer. While the Fresh KDS integration supports the same station and item routing available with physical printers, it also offers many other features such as cross-screen communication and sending SMS messages to customers when orders are ready. 

Can Fresh KDS connect with Lightspeed K?

Fresh KDS has a fully-featured integration with Lightspeed Restaurant (K-series). This integration can work offline and supports both Lightspeed’s item routing and coursing capabilities. The Fresh KDS app can be used in a variety of languages, including Spanish, French, and German.

Using another POS? Check out the full list of Fresh integrations.

Tips for Getting Started With Fresh KDS

Once you’ve decided to try Fresh KDS, you’ll want to make the most of your free trial period by following these tips.

Choose Your Device

One of the best things about Fresh KDS is that you can choose the hardware that works best for your kitchen setup and budget. If you’re an Apple loyalist, Fresh KDS works on iPads. If you prefer larger Android screens, Fresh KDS works on those too. You can even test Fresh KDS on a tablet you already own if you’re not ready to commit to buying devices for your whole kitchen. 

If you want device suggestions, visit our recommended hardware page.

Connect Your POS to Fresh KDS

Next, find your point of sale’s quick start guide and follow the steps to start sending POS orders to Fresh KDS. You can connect your POS and start seeing orders in a matter of minutes. If you’re using Square you can choose from a Cloud-based integration or the local integration that supports offline mode. Once you’ve started sending orders to Fresh KDS you’re ready to customize the kitchen screens.

Set Up Your Display Layout and Details

One advantage a kitchen display system has over paper ticket printers is the ability to customize the screen layout. With Fresh KDS there are four distinct layouts to choose from, each of which is designed to help certain kitchen stations perform at peak efficiency. For example, the split screen layout allows you to separate dine-in and take-out orders onto two rows so they can be prioritized and worked separately. You can also choose how items and cards are combined or split, and how items and modifiers strikethroughs are applied.

Train Your Staff

Once you’ve connected your POS to Fresh KDS and customized your screens it’s time to train your staff. Fresh KDS is intuitive and easy to learn, but you’ll want to cover topics like: 

• How to strikethrough items
• How to bump orders when they are complete
• How to recall orders if they’re bumped by mistake
• How to understand the order timers and color-coded headers
• How to change the position of orders, edit the order type, prioritize orders, or put future orders on hold

Assess Your Setup

After you’ve implemented Fresh KDS and used it for a few shifts you’ll want to evaluate how effective it is. Seek input from your staff about what’s working and what’s not, then make adjustments as necessary. You’ll also want to review the reporting and analytics to see how introducing Fresh KDS has helped with your speed of service. Look for additional areas where you can improve.

Why Choose Fresh?

Fresh KDS is an excellent choice for your next kitchen display system because it combines a wealth of advanced features into an intuitive, easy-to-use mobile app. With dozens of POS integrations, your KDS choice will no longer be constrained by your POS choice. Plus, with a company dedicated solely to kitchen display systems you can count on Fresh KDS to continue to be the most innovative KDS in the market for years to come.