KOT stand for Kitchen Order Ticket in Food and beverage. And it may be defined as KOT is a written document which is given to Kichen of any dish/item pick-up or exchange any dish from the kitchen.
Now a days it is very important for running successfully business of restaurants, and avoiding any mistakes in records.
KOT Diagrams and Explaination
Name and Code of the Waiter
It is very important to know who collected the dish from the kitchen and served the guests, to whom the dishes will be handed over once the food is ready in the kitchen, to whom the prepared bill will be handed over and who will be responsible if any of the dishes is not billed.
You see in KOT/BOT, BOT stand for Bar Order Ticket.
Date and Time in KOT
It helps during auditing as it shows when the order was taken and also helps the aboyeur in setting priority while controlling the hot plate.
The order that was received earlier should be executed first, unless it is a ‘running order’. Running order is an additional order for dishes placed by the customers having food.
Table number in KOT in Restaurant
It reveals information such as while table was occupied and to which table the order has to be sent.
Number of Guests/Pax
It gives information about the number of guests served by the waiter at a table and how many dishes were ordered by them.
It helps in knowing at the end of a number of guests served by a waiter, average revenue per cover (total amount of the bill, number of guests served), ordering pattern etc. which facilitates managerial such as rewarding the service staff, pricing etc.
Food Order and the Quantity Ordered
This is the most essential information that is taken down which records the orders placed by guests.
It authorizes the kitchen staff to deliver the dishes mentioned on the KOT. No dish will be sent out of the kitchen without KOT.
Even if the general manager of the hotel wants to order for something, a complementary KOT must be made. The essence of the system is not to deliver any dish from kitchen without KOT.
Signature of the Order Taker
The KOT must have signature of the order taken so as to know who has taken the order or who has authorized the request on KOT.
If any of the dishes is served but not charged, both the order taker and the server are answerable.
Types of KOT in Restaurant
1) Retour or Return check
The KOT is use for if a food item has to be returned for some reason, another check or KOT has to be made out, marked return and sent with the dish in order to cancel the transaction.
It has to be insured that the item is taken off the bill by sending the copy to the cashier.
2) En Place KOT in Restaurant
En place means “in it’s Place” so this KOT is use for In case of a table d hotel menu the guest may wish a slight change in a particular dish, for example jacket potatoes instead of French fries.
So, an en place check has to be made. The check has to be signed by a senior authority like the restaurant manager to show that this alteration is permitted at no extra charge.
3) Suivant KOT in Restaurant
Where it is necessary to write out more than one food check for a meal, e.g., when a sweet dish check or KOT is written out after the main course has been served.
At the head of this check word SUIVANT should be written, which means the following check, and shows that one check has already been written out for that particular table.
4) Supplement KOT
When an extra portion of food is required because sufficient amount has not been sent (or extra portion of accompaniments are required) from the kitchen, a special KOT must be written out headed ‘supplement’.
This means to ‘supplement’ what has already been sent. It should be signed by the senior caption and normally it is not charged.
5) Accident KOT/ Accident Check
The accident KOT made when if Waiter do service to the guest and by accidentally fall the dish or any item. Then Accident KOT made by that particular portion and sign by Restaurants manager without the any cost of particular dish.
6) Complimentary KOT in Restaurant
This KOT is raised when a complimentary portion of food is to be served either to an upset guest to maintain the goodwill or for business promotion.
This KOT also, is made on the same KOT pad however on top of the one needs to mention the word “COMPLIMENTARY KOT”. It has to be counter signed by the manager in-charge and the reason has to be mentioned.
Check and Bill system in KOT
This system of KOT is suitable for operations that serve limited items and where the menus do not change. Steak houses, sandwich centers, carveries, burger operations and other specialty services are some examples. In such operations, checking and billing are simplified and are combined.
The dishes served in the operations are clearly printed with quantity required and amount columns in the check pads. While taking order from guests, the quantity required and amount is entered accordingly.
The top copy goes to the kitchen for collecting the dish and the second copy is given to the guests as bill.
The bill amount is either collected by the waiter or the guests may pay at the counter depending on the system followed. If collected by the waiter, he/she must hand over the cash to the control department.
Duplicate System in KOT
In this checking system, food order is taken in duplicate. The first copy is sent to kitchen for collecting dishes. After all the dishes written on the KOT are issued to the concerned waiter, the KOT is inserted into a box which is locked.
The key to this box is kept in the control office to prevent any malpractice. The second copy is used by the waiter as a means of reference during service and for making the bill at the end of the service. In some smaller establishments, the duplicate copy is presented as a bill after adding the rates for the dishes ordered.
This system is implemented in popular restaurants and cafes. Restaurants offering fixed menu often use duplicate system of checking.
Triplicate System in KOT
You can see above Flowchart of Triplicate System in hotel, this system of KOT is use in majority medium and large establishment. Below I will give the brief description about how this KOT system work.
The top copy (first) of the food order, which is normally white in colour, is taken to the kitchen and handed over to the aboyeur at hot plate who shouts out the order, collects dishes from various sections of kitchen and gives to the concerned waiter.
After executing all the dishes mentioned in KOT, the aboyeur inserts it through the slot of a locked box. Its key is kept in the control office to prevent any malpractice. At the end of the day’s operations, the KOTs will be audited by the staff of control department.
The duplicate copy (second), which may be of any colour other than white, goes to the cashier who makes out the guest’s bill referring to the KOTs serial number. KOT number should be written on the bill.
The billing clerk ensures that all the dishes entered in KOT are charged and correctly calculated. Room number and name of guest, if residential guest is served, should be entered and the bill should be signed by the billing clerk.
The third copy, which may be of any colour other than the ones chosen for the first two copies, is retained by the waiter at his/her sideboard as a means of reference during service.
It may be called for verification any time by the control department. During service, any cancellation or correction on KOT should have the signature of the head waiter or supervisor.
Why KOT is Important in Restaurant?
- Staff entertaining their friends and family members with food may undercharge or not charge them at all.
- Consuming the food during and after duty hours. The staff members may be tempted to eat food meant for sales, without anyone’s knowledge as there is no record.
- Increased food cost and pilferage rate.
- Staff selling dishes without others knowledge and taking away the money.
- Non-availability of proper account of sales.
- Inability to pay creditors and thereby leading to closure of business.
To avoid all these and to run the business successfully, food and beverage orders should be recorded by maintaining a good checking system.
Frequently asked questions
What is full form of KOT?
The full form of KOT is Kitchen Order Ticket.
What is difference between KOT and BOT?
KOT is use for Kitchen and BOT that is Bar Order Ticket or you can say Beverage order Ticket is use in Bar for beverages.