The problem
On a busy Friday, paper tickets from the till and the online ordering printer pile up, get lost or are made twice, and wrong orders mean remakes and refunds. If 6 orders a week go wrong and each costs about $13£10€12A$19C$19 in remade food, packaging and partial refunds, that's $80£60€71A$115C$113 a week, about $343£258€307A$495C$485 a month.
What the AI does
Square KDS is a kitchen display app for Square point of sale. Square's UK page says orders from the till, Square Online and connected delivery apps go to the kitchen screen, with ticket views, timers and alerts, routing to prep stations and prep-time reports. It's $20£15€18A$29C$28 a month per device after a 30-day free trial, and screens and mounts are bought separately. Delivery app orders need a connector such as Deliverect, priced separately, so this setup keeps the delivery tablets as they are and puts till and online orders on the screen.
A worked example
A pizza and kebab takeaway in Leicester takes counter, phone and Square online orders, already on Square's Free plan. It puts one tablet running Square KDS above the prep counter.
Before
About 6 wrong or duplicated orders a week x $13£10€12A$19C$19 = $80£60€71A$115C$113 a week, about $343£258€307A$495C$485 a month
After
About 2 wrong orders a week x $13£10€12A$19C$19 = $27£20€24A$38C$38 a week, about $114£86€102A$165C$162 a month
What it's worth
About $229£172€205A$330C$323 a month saved ($343£258€307A$495C$485 minus $114£86€102A$165C$162), against $20£15€18A$29C$28 for one KDS screen. The $13£10€12A$19C$19 cost per wrong order and the drop from 6 to 2 a week are assumptions. Square KDS is $20£15€18A$29C$28 a month per device; a tablet to run it isn't included. Time saved and better reviews aren't counted.
How to set it up
- Start the 30-day free trial of Square KDS on a tablet you already have, or buy a suitable one.
- Mount it where the cook can read it without touching it with dirty hands.
- Set up routing if you have more than one station, such as pizza and grill.
- Run it alongside paper tickets for one quiet night, then switch off the printer for those orders.
- Check the prep-time reports after a month to see where orders slow down.
What goes wrong
- Delivery app orders reach the screen only through a connector such as Deliverect, at extra cost. Without it, the app tablets stay separate.
- A screen needs Wi-Fi. Keep a printer ready for when the internet drops on a Friday.
- Each extra screen is another $20£15€18A$29C$28 a month; Square for Restaurants Plus at $92£69€82A$132C$130 includes unlimited screens if you need several.
- Allergy notes on an order must be visible on the screen and acted on by a trained person. Check how notes display before going live.