What’s the difference between a Point of Sale (POS) and a Kitchen Display System (KDS)? There is a common misconception that a POS and a KDS are the same type of software. Although both of these technologies are closely integrated and a key part of a successful restaurant operation, they are very different.
Let’s dive into what each type of software is, how they work together, and the benefits they provide.
A POS is widely utilized and implemented, but does not serve the same purpose as a kitchen display system. The POS is a front-of-house system where a server physically rings up a customer’s order, and the POS records transactions.
A POS could be a terminal or tablet, such as an iPad, or used in a traditional cash register. This is the system that initializes the order transaction within a restaurant or above store, such as online ordering through an app or restaurant website.
Kitchen display systems strictly specialize in improving how the back-of-house operates.
In automated kitchens, these systems are used instead of printers and paper. Typically, there is a monitor at each physical station where meal preparation takes place. For example, a kitchen may have five stations: grill, fry, sauté, pantry, and expo.
A kitchen display system would include a monitor at each one of these stations. Each one of these stations would only display the items rang in through the POS that are prepared at the respective stations. A KDS may also include features like:
Grouping course items together, such as table service, drinks, and desserts, allows you to send these items in one chunk so that customers receive each course at the right time. The user sets up rules as to when courses should be served, such as timing, item ID, etc. This ensures each item is delivered when it should be, with every item freshly prepared.
A recipe viewer will help you reduce training costs, secure and search for a restaurant’s recipes, track nutrition and allergy information, and reduce paper waste.
Route food to the appropriate kitchen station: grill, pantry, fryer, etc. Routing ensures food is moved in the right direction and clears up confusion in the kitchen.
A more advanced form of routing to make sure that food is ready at the appropriate time. You can delay items with shorter cook times to make sure everything is fresh to go to the customer. That way an entire table’s meal is fresh and served at the right temperature.
A KDS will display an order that was rang in through the POS. Since the food order is placed at the point of sale, it has to be able to talk to the kitchen display system in order for the food to route and show up in the back of house.
When choosing a POS and KDS solution, make sure to do plenty of research. Most kitchen display systems available are dictated by the type of POS you are using.
It is best to choose a KDS that will integrate with many different POS systems, as some POS systems are less robust than others. With this in mind, you will want a KDS that includes features that the POS might be lacking. For example, not all POS systems offer features such as cook times. You will want to find a KDS that easily allows you to add default kitchen cook times.
Some of the many benefits of having a POS and KDS include:
Crunchtime Kitchen is a KDS trusted by 21 of the top 25 nations' largest casual-dining chains, such as Chili’s and The Cheesecake Factory. Not only does it include key features listed above, it also integrates with over 80 POS systems.
Click here to learn more about Crunchtime Kitchen.
This article was originally published on August 4, 2017, and updated on April 24, 2026.