Fast-food: how do you manage orders in the kitchen?

Welcome to the world of fast food, where the art of kitchen order management plays a central role. In this fast-paced environment, efficient order management is essential to delivering a smooth, delicious customer experience. 

So how do you meet this challenge head on? In this guide, we'll explore tips and best practices to ensure optimal order management in the kitchen!

Get ready to plunge into the dynamic and exciting world of fast-food order management, where every second counts and satisfying taste buds is a top priority.

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Fast-food order management 

How do you manage fast-food orders? From staff training and coordination to taking the initiative, we've got it all!

Good communication between dining room and kitchen

In a fast-food restaurant, communication between the dining room and the kitchen plays a crucial role in the success of the customer experience. Imagine yourself in a crowded restaurant, where orders are pouring in and diners are eagerly awaiting their delicious meals. In this bustling environment, effective communication becomes the glue that holds the dining room and kitchen together, ensuring smooth service and optimum customer satisfaction.

To establish good communication between the dining room and the kitchen of your fast-food restaurant, you can put in place several effective practices:

• Establish clear protocols: Define standard procedures for order transmission, specific customer requests and problem management. Make sure all team members understand and follow these protocols.

• Use the right communication tools: Invest in efficient communication systems such as headsets or tablets linked to order-taking software. This will enable fast, accurate transmission of information between the dining room and the kitchen.

• Foster open, respectful communication: Encourage an environment where team members feel comfortable asking questions, seeking clarification and sharing important information. Communication should be respectful and constructive.

• Promote coordination and collaboration: Organize regular meetings between the front-of-house and kitchen teams to discuss recurring problems, possible improvements and customer feedback. Encourage collaboration and the exchange of ideas to find solutions together.

• Train staff properly: Make sure that all staff members understand the importance of communication between the dining room and the kitchen. Organize training sessions on communication protocols, problem-solving techniques and the importance of customer satisfaction.

• Encourage initiative: Encourage team members to report problems or errors promptly so that they can be resolved effectively. Value initiative and accountability to maintain proactive communication.

👉 To find out more: discover the webinar how to boost productivity in fast food?

An optimized process for sending orders to the kitchen

An optimized system for managing orders in the kitchen, known as the KDS (Kitchen Display System), is an innovative technological solution that is revolutionizing order management in fast-food outlets. Instead of using paper tickets or traditional order forms, the KDS allows orders to be transmitted directly to the kitchen team via a digital display system.

This system offers many advantages, including improved visibility and clarity of controls. Detailed information is displayed clearly and legibly, avoiding the errors and omissions associated with manual reading of controls.

"Thanks to KDS, everything runs smoothly during assembly, and assemblers don't make any mistakes." Albert, Alfi founder

👉 To find out more: How Alfi increased its average shopping basket by 28%.

The importance of a well-organized fast-food kitchen

A well-organized kitchen is the engine that drives efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction. Here's why meticulous organization is essential:

• Smooth workflow: A well-organized kitchen ensures a smooth, optimized workflow. Every team member knows exactly which tasks to perform, when and with what resources. This reduces waiting times, improves speed of service and maximizes productivity.

• Efficient stock management: Rigorous kitchen organization facilitates stock management and avoids unnecessary shortages or surpluses. With clear visibility of available ingredients, it's possible to anticipate orders and minimize losses. This maintains a balance between demand and supply, optimizing costs.

• Food safety: A well-organized kitchen is essential to guarantee food safety. Preparation, cooking and storage areas must be clearly defined, with strict food handling protocols. Proper organization reduces the risk of cross-contamination and ensures the quality and integrity of the products served.

• Ergonomics and efficiency: A well laid-out and organized kitchen takes ergonomics into account to optimize team members' movements and gestures. Functional workstations, well-placed tools and fluid circulation enable tasks to be carried out more quickly and accurately, reducing fatigue and the risk of injury.

• Team cohesion: The organization of the kitchen promotes cohesion and collaboration within the team. A clear division of roles and responsibilities, as well as fluid communication, reinforce the sense of belonging and teamwork. Each member knows what is expected of him or her, which fosters a positive, dynamic atmosphere.

👉 Further information: Fast food: how to organize your takeaway sales?

Monitor the arrival and progress of orders in progress to adapt order preparation

To guarantee an optimal customer experience, it is also essential to adapt preparation to demand in real time. Indeed, every second counts, and speed of execution is a key criterion in this field. 

That's why modern fast-food restaurants use advanced tools and technologies to effectively monitor and manage order flow. With a clear, real-time view of order status, kitchen teams can adjust their pace and organization to meet the changing needs of diners. Whether it's to anticipate a busy period or to adapt to special orders, this proactive approach helps to maintain the quality, freshness and speed of preparations. 

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Each to his own workstation

In a fast-food restaurant, it's essential that every member of the team remains at his or her workstation. Not only for reasons of organization and efficiency, but also for reasons of quality and food safety. And with good reason: in a fast-food restaurant, it's vital to comply with hygiene and food safety standards. 

By remaining at their posts, employees follow the appropriate procedures for handling food, thus avoiding the risk of cross-contamination or potential errors. As far as quality is concerned, it's because it's by concentrating on a specific task that an employee becomes an expert in his or her field!

Here are the main positions that can be found in a fast-food restaurant:

• Cashier: The cashier takes customer orders, collects payments and hands out tickets or receipts. Their aim is to serve customers quickly and efficiently.
• Preparer: Preparers are responsible for food preparation. They follow recipes, assemble ingredients and ensure that dishes are prepared according to quality and hygiene standards. They may specialize in the preparation of burgers, fries, salads, etc.
• Grill cooker: Grill cooks are responsible for cooking meats and vegetables on the grill. They know the appropriate cooking times, master cooking techniques and ensure that food is cooked evenly and deliciously.
• Runner: The runner coordinates the kitchen and the dining room. They collect the prepared dishes and pass them on to the cashiers for distribution to customers. They ensure that orders are complete and correct.
• Plongeur(se): responsible for washing up and keeping the kitchen clean. They wash dishes, clean utensils and keep the kitchen clean and tidy.
• Shift manager: The shift manager oversees all operations during a given period. They ensure that the service runs smoothly, manage the staff, solve any problems and make sure that everything runs smoothly!

👉 Going further: 9 tips for finding restaurant staff

The recipe card in the kitchen

The recipe card is much more than just a list of ingredients and preparation steps. It is the reference document that enables your kitchen team to maintain a consistent level of quality. By providing precise information on quantities, cooking techniques and preparation times, it guarantees consistency in the preparation of dishes, whatever the member of staff responsible for making them.

Thanks to the kitchen recipe card, every employee can quickly learn the instructions needed to prepare orders. This reduces preparation errors and eliminates variations that could affect customer satisfaction. By scrupulously following the instructions provided, every dish will have the same taste and presentation, ensuring a consistent culinary experience for your guests, whether they come once or on a regular basis.

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The Innovorder solution for organizing kitchen preparation

Want to improve order-taking and preparation in your kitchen?

With Innovorder :

• no more incessant to-ing and fro-ing,
• no more lost paper tickets,
• no more illegible tickets.

The KDS (or production screen) helps reduce errors, streamline your kitchen operations and boost productivity.

With this tool, you can :

• manage and prioritize all your orders,
• optimize your kitchen organization by dispatching orders by preparation station.

"Thanks to the KDS, I no longer make mistakes in the kitchen. It simplifies everything: the color code indicates priority orders, orders in progress, etc." Faizal Jogiat, founder of Chicken Village

👉 Find out more: How Chicken Village serves 200 customers an hour without error

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Would you like to digitize your kitchen, but still have questions? Contact an Innovorder expert for personalized advice.