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Kitchen and Bar Video (K BV)
In 2000, ViewTouch pioneered the first Point of Sale solution featuring Interactive Kitchen Video and Bar Video — a greatly enhanced alternative to sending orders (transaction or 'guest check' details) to food and beverage preparation sites via printers.
Interactive K/BV displays bring prep staff into the Point of Sale 'loop' by giving them a 'voice' — the people who prepare food and beverage orders for customers.
Kitchen and Bar video (K/BV) pages feature buttons with:
- Button Type: 'Report'
- Report Type: 'Check'
- Common Name: 'Guest Check' button
Prep staff receive instructions on ViewTouch pages designed to enable them to see and interact with graphical touchscreen representations of Guest Checks.
Guest Check buttons show the same information traditionally sent to Kitchen and Bar printers — they are visual representations of orders (transaction data) required by preparation staff to fulfill customer orders.
Guest Check buttons offer significant advantages over printed 'requisition tickets':
- Real-time Updates: Can be updated dynamically
- Workgroup Alerts: Alerts entire hospitality team when orders are 'plated' (ready for service)
- Status Tracking: Visual indication of order completion
- Two-way Communication: Prep staff can communicate back to service staff
Tablets displaying ViewTouch orders in kitchens and bars establish two-way communication between:
- 👥 Customer front (service staff)
- 👨🍳 Remote preparation sites (kitchen/bar staff)
Result: Enhanced view of customer orders and alerts when orders are ready for service!
The implementation of ViewTouch Kitchen/Bar Video is astonishingly simple!
K/BV is completely software-based — no special hardware needed beyond:
- 📱 Android tablet, or
- 🖥️ Touchscreen monitor
A collection of ViewTouch buttons displays order details that would otherwise go to prep site printers. Interacting with K/BV displays enables prep staff to inform service staff when orders are ready, increasing Point of Sale efficiency.
- Order Display: Shows on K/BV display
- Preparation Complete: Prep staff touches the button for completed orders
- Highlight Alert: Button highlights, informing all ViewTouch displays
- Service Delivery: Service staff transports food/beverage to customer
- Order Removal: Touch highlighted button to clear from K/BV display
K/BV pages allow prep staff to adjust:
- 📐 Layout formats
- 🔤 Font sizes
- 🎭 Presentation styles
No special hardware needed to implement Kitchen/Bar Video!
Minimum requirements:
- 📱 Android tablet OR 🖥️ touchscreen monitor
- 💰 $10 Raspberry Pi Zero W (optional)
Use Android Tablets and download the ViewTouch XServer .apk:
- Automatic Setup: QR code on ViewTouch desktop (scan to auto-download/install)
- Manual Download: ViewTouch download page
- Mounting: Many options available for prep site tablet mounting
Use Raspberry Pi Zero W to drive touchscreen monitors — same approach as adding POS displays.
K/BV displays can:
- Replace prep site printers, or
- Supplement existing printers
Hospitality operators choose: printers, video displays, or both!
ViewTouch mirroring enables multiple K/BV displays from a single Raspberry Pi with dual HDMI interfaces:
- Identical Views: Both displays show exact same order fulfillment state
- Independent Views: Add another tablet/touchscreen for different perspectives
ViewTouch XServer software is completely free!
| Traditional Printers | ViewTouch K/BV |
|---|---|
| 📄 Static printed tickets | 🔄 Dynamic, interactive displays |
| 📤 One-way communication | |
| ⏰ Manual status updates | ⚡ Real-time status alerts |
| 📏 Fixed format/layout | 🎨 Customizable presentation |
| 💰 Printer hardware costs | 💰 Low-cost tablet/RPi solution |
| 🚫 Limited interactivity | ✅ Full touchscreen interaction |
ViewTouch K/BV transforms kitchen and bar operations by bringing preparation staff into the digital Point of Sale workflow, improving communication, efficiency, and customer service throughout the hospitality operation.