In the heat of the kitchen, communication is everything. Lightspeed Commerce Inc., the one-stop commerce platform empowering merchants to provide the best omnichannel experiences, introduces its next-generation Kitchen Display System (KDS). This solution was forged on premise in the fast-paced reality of high-volume kitchens, designed to restore order, efficiency, and keep restaurant staff happy.
With 81% of Americans dining out at least once a month and the foodservice industry contributing to 51% of food waste in the US, restaurants are increasingly turning to technology for solutions to cut costs, improve accuracy, and enhance customer satisfaction. Lightspeed KDS combines the best of human-driven service and automation, enabling restaurants to stay on top of orders, optimize workflows, and reduce both paper and food waste.
“Kitchens can be chaotic, but with the right tools, they don’t have to be. Lightspeed KDS helps teams thrive, even under pressure,” said Adoniram Sides, SVP of Hospitality at Lightspeed. “With instant updates communication between front-of-house and back-of-house significantly improves, restaurants reduce waste, and diners get even better service. Whether managing online orders, pickup, or dine-in, KDS ensures all orders are seamlessly communicated to the kitchen. Paired with Tableside, front-of-house staff can update kitchen operations from anywhere, keeping everything on track during the busiest shifts.”
How Lightspeed’s KDS Solves Critical Kitchen Challenges
Based on a recent survey conducted by Lightspeed of 400 restaurant workers (aged 16+) across the US and Canada, Lightspeed identified major operational challenges that many restaurants face. Here’s how Lightspeed’s flexible KDS addresses these issues:
- Miscommunication: 62% of restaurant staff reported frequent miscommunication between front-of-house and back-of-house teams, resulting in delays and increased stress. Lightspeed KDS provides real-time updates on any device, including displaying diner names for personalized service, ensuring teams stay in sync, minimizing mistakes, and boosting efficiency.
- Last-minute order changes: 56% said last-minute modifications are the primary challenge during service that disrupt their workflow followed closely by misunderstood orders (43%), competing priorities with the kitchen (41%) and front-of-house staff (41%). KDS instantly reflects these changes, allowing kitchens to adjust on the fly and maintain accuracy.
- Competing priorities: Almost a quarter of restaurant teams (23%) struggle to balance dine-in and delivery orders, creating bottlenecks in the kitchen with 1 in 5 (19%) stating the current technology makes it difficult for them to perform their jobs effectively. Customizable workflows in KDS help prioritize orders, streamline the process and keep things running smoothly during peak times.
- Reducing waste: By going paperless and automating order accuracy, Lightspeed KDS helps minimize paper waste and reduces food waste, helping restaurants operate more sustainably. Paper receipts alone account for an estimated 1.5 billion pounds of waste in the US.
“The greatest value of KDS is how it eliminates distractions, allowing chefs to focus on cooking, staff to focus on service, and the kitchen to run smoothly,” said Juan Pablo Mendez, Owner of Mimi’s Restaurant, a Lightspeed customer utilizing KDS. “After a brief transition, my team was asking for more stations, and now even the waiters want one to track orders and timing. KDS provides clear, real-time instructions—it’s been a game-changer.”
Lightspeed KDS isn’t just a display; it bridges front-of-house and back-of-house seamlessly. Orders from Tableside, powered by Tap to Pay, or the unified POS flow directly into the kitchen for smooth execution. The system is compatible with a wide variety of hardware, allowing flexibility for restaurants. With advanced coursing functionality, KDS helps kitchens prioritize and efficiently manage courses, ensuring orders are completed on time, even during peak hours.
Now available to all Lightspeed Restaurant merchants across North America, Europe, and beyond, the KDS reduces errors, fosters better coordination between kitchen and service staff, and boosts overall efficiency—delivering an uninterrupted dining experience from order to delivery.
Lightspeed powers the world’s best–restaurants and hospitality businesses, including: Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu (La Malbaie), Taverne Atlantic (Montréal), Daniel Boulud Group (NYC), Alinea Group (Chicago), L’Osteria (Europe). Lightspeed Restaurant is currently available in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Australia.
Explore the transformative features of Lightspeed KDS on our website, or experience its powerful capabilities firsthand at https://www.lightspeedhq.com/pos/restaurant/kitchen-display-system.
