Food & beverage
What is a KOT (kitchen order ticket)?
A KOT, or kitchen order ticket, is the slip or screen entry that tells the kitchen what to prepare. It lists the table or room, the items and quantities, any special instructions and the time of the order. The bill is produced later from the same order.
KOT vs bill
The KOT is an internal instruction to the kitchen and carries no prices. The bill is the guest's document, with prices and tax. Every item on a bill should trace back to a KOT, which is how restaurants catch food that left the kitchen without being billed.
Printed and digital KOTs
A POS sends each KOT to the right station, such as the main kitchen, the bar or the tandoor, either on a printer or on a kitchen display screen. Changes and cancellations issue their own tickets, so the kitchen and the bill stay in step.
In StaySynq
StaySynq's POS sends KOTs to kitchen printers or a kitchen display, and posts room charges straight to the guest folio.
Common questions
What is a BOT?
A bar order ticket: the same idea as a KOT, sent to the bar instead of the kitchen.
Related terms
- FolioA folio is the running account of everything a guest is charged and everything they pay during a stay: room nights, restaurant bills, minibar, laundry, taxes, deposits and payments. At check-out the folio is settled and becomes the basis for the invoice.
- Meal plans (EP, CP, MAP, AP)Hotel meal plans describe which meals are included in the room rate. EP (European Plan) is room only. CP (Continental Plan) includes breakfast. MAP (Modified American Plan) includes breakfast and one main meal. AP (American Plan) includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- BEO (banquet event order)A BEO, or banquet event order, is the document that sets out everything a hotel must deliver for an event: date and timings, hall and layout, guest count, menu, beverages, equipment, staffing, billing instructions and the client's contact. Every department works from it.
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