> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dishink.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Kitchen Stations

> Configure kitchen stations, assign categories, and control how order items route to each section of your kitchen on the KDS.

Kitchen stations turn one wall of tickets into a per-cook dashboard. Every section of your kitchen — Hot, Cold, Grill, Bar, Prep, Dessert — becomes a filterable lane on the KDS, and items are routed to the right lane automatically based on their menu category.

## Overview

A **station** in DishInk consists of:

* A **name** (internal, e.g. `hot_kitchen`) and **display name** (what appears on the KDS, e.g. `Hot Kitchen`)
* A **colour** — used for the station chip, ticket accents, and border colouring
* An **alert threshold** in minutes — flashes a warning when items sit in the queue too long
* A list of **assigned categories** — the menu categories that route to this station

Stations are **shared config** across a multi-location deployment. Only order data (tickets) is scoped to the active branch — the stations themselves follow the home restaurant.

## Auto-routing rules

When a waiter sends an order, DishInk decides where each item shows up on the KDS using this exact logic:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Look up the item's category">
    Every menu item belongs to a category (Starters, Mains, Drinks, Desserts, etc.).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find a matching station">
    Scan stations for the first one whose `category_ids` includes the item's category.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stamp the station on the item">
    The item is written with `kds_station = station.display_name` so every screen shows it under the correct lane.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fall back to the category name">
    If no station matches, the item shows under a **virtual station** named after its category. It is not lost — it just does not have a configured lane yet.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If a category is assigned to **multiple stations**, the first matching station wins. Assign each category to exactly one station to make routing predictable.
</Note>

## Open the Stations panel

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign in as owner or manager">
    Only roles with kitchen config permissions can create or edit stations.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to Settings → Kitchen Stations">
    You will see the info banner explaining how routing works, a list of existing stations, and an **Add Station** button.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Create a station

<Steps>
  <Step title="Tap Add Station">
    A form panel opens with New Station highlighted at the top.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name and Display Name">
    Enter an internal **name** (e.g. `hot_kitchen`) and a **display name** shown on the KDS (e.g. `Hot Kitchen`). If you leave display name blank, DishInk uses the name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick a colour">
    Choose from the 12 preset colours. This colour is used for the station chip, the ticket accent, and the border on cards filtered to this station.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set a queue alert (optional)">
    Enter the number of minutes an item can sit in the queue before the KDS flashes a warning. Typical values are 10–15 minutes. Leave blank to disable.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign categories">
    Tap category chips to toggle them into the station. A checkmark appears on selected chips.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tap Create Station">
    The station is saved and appears in the list. The KDS picks it up on the next order.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Kitchen Stations panel">
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/dishink/images/kds/kitchen-stations.png" alt="Kitchen stations" />
</Frame>

## Edit a station

1. Tap the **pencil** icon on any station row.
2. The row expands into the edit form pre-filled with current values.
3. Change any field — name, colour, alert, categories.
4. Tap **Save Changes**.

Existing orders keep their original station stamp. Only orders sent **after** the change are routed with the new configuration.

## Delete a station

1. Tap the **trash** icon on any station row.
2. Confirm the deletion.
3. Orders that were already sent keep their station label — the KDS still groups them under that name as a virtual station.

<Warning>
  Deleting a station does not reassign historical items. Do this during a quiet period so you do not confuse the kitchen mid-service.
</Warning>

## Filter the KDS by station

At the top of the KDS, tap a station chip to view only that station's items. Tap **All** to see everything again.

* Real stations appear first, in `sort_order`, coloured with the station colour.
* Virtual stations (items with no assigned station) appear after, in grey.
* The active chip is highlighted.

<Note>
  Bulk actions like **Mark All Ready** respect the active station filter — they only affect items visible on the ticket for that station.
</Note>

## Recommended setup

For a typical restaurant, we recommend starting with these stations:

| Station      | Colour | Typical categories                       | Queue alert |
| ------------ | ------ | ---------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| Hot Kitchen  | Red    | Mains, Grill, Pasta, Rice                | 12 min      |
| Cold Kitchen | Green  | Starters, Salads, Cold Sides             | 8 min       |
| Bar          | Blue   | Beers, Wines, Spirits, Cocktails, Juices | 5 min       |
| Dessert      | Purple | Desserts, Ice Cream                      | 10 min      |
| Prep         | Amber  | Bread Basket, Chips, Sides               | 8 min       |

Adjust based on your physical layout and how your team already thinks about the kitchen.

## Tips and best practices

<Tip>
  Match your station names to the words your team actually uses. "Grill", "Wok", "Wood Oven" — whatever is on the sign above the cook's head.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  Use queue alerts as an operational lever. Start with 15 minutes, tighten to 10 or even 8 once your team is used to it, and watch acknowledgement time drop in Kitchen Analytics.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  In multi-location deployments, get the station list right at the home location. Every branch inherits it.
</Tip>

## Common mistakes

<Warning>
  Do not assign the same category to multiple stations unless you understand the first-match rule. It creates unpredictable routing.
</Warning>

<Warning>
  Do not leave categories unassigned during rollout. Items land under a grey virtual station and can be missed if a cook has filtered to a real station.
</Warning>

<Warning>
  Do not delete a station mid-service. Wait until the current tickets have cleared.
</Warning>

## Related pages

* [Receiving Orders](/kds/receiving-orders)
* [Preparing Orders](/kds/preparing-orders)
* [Kitchen Statuses](/kds/kitchen-statuses)
* [Menu Management: Categories](/menu/categories)
* [Kitchen Analytics](/reports/kitchen-analytics)
* [Multi-Location: Managing Branches](/multi-location/managing-branches)