Kitchen Display Setup Guide

Set up a kitchen display system (KDS) to show orders in real-time. Streamline your kitchen workflow, reduce errors, and keep your team in sync.

See how it works

Orders flow instantly from your staff's tablet to the kitchen display

📱Staff Tablet
Table 4
Cheeseburger×2
Fries×2
Vanilla Shake×1
Real-time sync
🖥️Kitchen Display
Orders1
Table 23m ago
PREPARING
Table 4Just now
Cheeseburger ×2Fries ×2Vanilla Shake ×1
NEW ORDER

What You'll Need

  • A tablet or computer (iPad, Android tablet, or any device with a browser)
  • A free MenuMog account with a menu to take orders from
  • A venue created in your MenuMog dashboard
  • WiFi connection in your kitchen
  • A stand or mount for your display (optional but recommended)
1

Create Your Venue

First, you need to create a venue in your MenuMog dashboard. This is where your orders will come from.

  1. Log in to your MenuMog dashboard
  2. Navigate to Venues in the sidebar
  3. Click New Venue
  4. Choose the menu it takes orders from
  5. Enter your venue name (e.g., "Main Kitchen", "Bar Station") and how many tables it has
  6. Set a Kitchen PIN of 4 to 6 digits. Your staff use it to open the ordering and kitchen screens
  7. Save the venue

The venue's card shows the address of your kitchen display. Copy it: you'll need it in the next step.

2

Set Up Your Display Device

Now, set up your tablet or computer to display the kitchen view.

  1. Open a web browser on your display device (Chrome, Safari, Firefox—any modern browser works)
  2. Navigate to your kitchen display URL (the one you copied in step 1)
  3. Enter your Kitchen PIN. The screen stays open for 16 hours, then asks for it again
  4. The page will show "No orders yet" when there are no active orders
  5. Optionally, enable Full Screen mode in your browser (F11 on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Ctrl+F on Mac)

Pro tip: Most tablets have a "Kiosk Mode" or "Guided Access" feature that locks the screen to a single app. Enable this to prevent accidental navigation.

3

Mount Your Display

Position your display where your kitchen staff can easily see it. Common setups include:

  • Wall mount: Use a tablet wall mount to keep it out of the way
  • Stand on counter: A simple tablet stand works great for smaller kitchens
  • Above prep station: Mount it at eye level where orders are prepared

Make sure the display is visible to everyone who needs to see orders, but not in a spot where it'll get splashed or knocked over.

4

Test It Out

Before your first service, test the setup:

  1. Send a test order from the staff ordering page (menumog.com/order/your-venue) on a phone
  2. Watch the order appear on your kitchen display in real-time
  3. Mark the order as complete and verify it updates correctly
  4. Test with multiple orders to see how they stack

Orders appear automatically as soon as they're placed. No refresh needed—it's all real-time.

Pro Tips

  • Keep it plugged in: Kitchen displays run all day. Use a power adapter, not battery.
  • Brightness matters: Set your display brightness to maximum for visibility in a busy kitchen.
  • Several screens: Open the kitchen address on as many screens as you like. Each one shows every order of the venue.
  • Sound: The screen beeps when a new order arrives. Keep the device's volume up.
  • Auto-refresh: The display auto-updates, but if it ever freezes, just refresh the page

Troubleshooting

Display not showing orders?

Make sure the screen is on the right venue's address. Check that orders are being placed to the same venue.

Orders appearing slowly?

Check your WiFi connection. A stable internet connection is required for real-time updates.

Screen keeps turning off?

Disable auto-sleep/auto-lock in your device settings. Set it to "Never" or "Always On".

Ready to set up your kitchen display?

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