Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT)
A short printed slip issued at the counter that tells the kitchen exactly what to prepare. In an Indian restaurant, the KOT is the physical link between an order taken at the front of house and the meal that eventually reaches the guest.
What's on a KOT
A typical KOT is printed on 80mm thermal paper, ~10-15 cm long, and contains only the fields the kitchen needs to act on:
- KOT number (auto-numbered, one per order)
- Date and time of the order
- Table number, room number, or "TAKEAWAY" / "DELIVERY"
- Server / captain name (or PIN)
- Line items — item name, quantity, any modifier ("no chilli", "extra cheese")
- Section, if the kitchen splits by station (e.g. Tandoor, Chinese, Bar)
A KOT does not carry prices, taxes, or the guest's phone number. That information belongs on the bill, printed later. Mixing the two on the kitchen slip slows the line.
Why the KOT exists as a separate document
The counter and the kitchen have different jobs, different speeds, and different information needs. A bill is a legal document with tax breakup and GSTIN, printed once, at settlement. A KOT is a workflow instruction, printed instantly, sometimes multiple times per table as a guest adds items. Keeping them separate lets the kitchen keep moving without waiting for the guest to settle.
KOT vs BOT
A related term is BOT (Bar Order Ticket) — the same idea, routed to the bar counter instead of the kitchen. Restaurants with both a bar and a kitchen typically print a KOT and a BOT from the same order, one to each station.
In Pass
Pass generates a KOT automatically when an order is placed against a table, room or takeaway ticket. KOT numbers are sequential per order. Silent printing means no dialog interrupts a busy counter, and separate printer selection lets you send Tandoor items to a Tandoor printer and Chinese to a different one.