ConnectSmart^® Kitchen | Kitchen Display System

Streamline your kitchen with best-in-breed kitchen automation

Kitchen Overview GET A PERSONALIZED DEMO

Achieve a 12-minute or less ticket time 80% of the time

Used in 21 of the top 25 nation's largest casual-dining chains.

Top brands like Chili's Bar and Grill and The Cheesecake Factory know that when a rush hits, you have to be able to rely on your kitchen display system. ConnectSmart^® Kitchen by Crunchtime is a best-in-breed solution trusted by leading brands for over 30 years. It’s highly configurable and designed to reduce waste, improve staff productivity, and integrate into your existing tech stack with over 80 POS integrations.

see how Chili's Bar and Grill does it

Eliminate bottlenecks in the kitchen and shave 7 minutes off ticket times

Reduce ticket times and turn tables faster with customizable routing, pacing, and prep stations. Reduced ticket times are a universal benefit acknowledged by customers who implement ConnectSmart® Kitchen.

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Maintain product quality while forecasting for rush periods

Bin management is a product projection and forecasting tool that increases service speed by reminding team members what to cook, when to cook it, and how much to make of each item – all while tracking usage to maintain product quality.

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Reduce expo chaos with order ready boards

Customize data to show the customer name, transaction status, order number, or any combination. Plus, send an SMS message to the guest when their food is ready to be picked up. Brands like Dave’s Hot Chicken are spicing up the expo experience for guests and staff.

See Dave’s Hot Chicken in action

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Easily integrate with 80+ point-of-sale systems

With over 80 point-of-sale partners, Crunchtime’s ConnectSmart^® Kitchen is a configurable solution that integrates with and supercharges your existing system. Don’t settle, choose the best technology for your restaurant, on your terms with a flexible tech stack.

See all POS Integrations

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Learn how top brands like Cheesecake Factory, Chili's Bar and Grill, and BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse use Crunchtime to achieve ops excellence.

Download Chili's Case Study Get a personalized demo

Crunchtime restaurant software product tour webinar

"As we continue our ambitious growth trajectory, we must have the right technology in place to support our operations. QSR Automations offers the scalability and reliability we need to maintain our brand’s high standards across hundreds of locations. This partnership will be instrumental in helping us achieve our expansion goals while ensuring consistent, high-quality experiences for our guests.”

Leon Davoyan Chief Technology Officer Dave’s Hot Chicken

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"We've completed a national implementation of ConnectSmart^® Kitchen, a system that automates our cook time process. The result will be an annualized savings of $5 million, from labor reduction.”

Chief Information Officer The Cheesecake Factory

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"QSR's ConnectSmart^® solutions tie together critical processes in the restaurant, enabling us to effectively manage the guest experience and enhance operations."

VP of Information Systems BJ's Restaurant

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What is a Kitchen Display System (KDS) and how does ConnectSmart® Kitchen by Crunchtime differ from others?

A Kitchen Display System replaces paper tickets or order screens with a digital solution that organizes, prioritizes, and tracks orders in real time. What sets ConnectSmart^® Kitchen apart is its enterprise-grade intelligence—it doesn’t just display tickets; it optimizes kitchen workflows through dynamic load balancing and real-time routing. That means orders are automatically distributed based on station capacity, ensuring no one area becomes a bottleneck. The result? Faster ticket times, consistent quality, and a calmer kitchen.

Can ConnectSmart® Kitchen integrate with my existing POS system?

Yes! ConnectSmart^® Kitchen integrates with 80+ POS systems and that number is only expanding. Its flexible API design allows seamless communication between front-of-house and back-of-house systems, ensuring that orders flow directly from the POS to the right station in the kitchen without manual intervention. You get visibility into prep times, order statuses, and performance metrics across all locations.

How does ConnectSmart® Kitchen help with order accuracy and guest satisfaction?

ConnectSmart^® Kitchen uses line routing and bin management to guide staff through orders step-by-step. By automating ticket sequencing, helping staff prep for rush periods, and course timing, it reduces human error and ensures meals are delivered exactly as intended. Operators see immediate improvements in order accuracy, speed of service, and ultimately, guest satisfaction – because accurate orders = happier customers!

What kind of insights can I get from ConnectSmart® Kitchen?

Capture real-time operational data across stations and locations, turning it into actionable insights. You can view ticket times, station performance, and throughput metrics to identify training opportunities or trends in the kitchen.