topic Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers in Restaurant Operations

Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

Sdaniel — Thu, 30 May 2024 18:31:20 GMT

Hello!

At all our locations, we've streamlined our setup with a dedicated KDS for carryout, online orders, and DoorDash. These carryout screens have the Epson L90 thermal printer assigned.

One of our offerings is the Pancake Combo, which is three small pancakes accompanied by a choice of eggs and meat. Given the variety within this dish, we use two boxes, one for the pancakes and the other for the eggs and meat.

I am wondering if there is a way to print the 'combo' portion as a separate ticket. Currently, both the pancake and combo details are printed on the same ticket. However, we'd like to do this without affecting the way the kitchen ticket prints, the cooks have their own kitchen printer and KDS.

The "combo" portion is part of a modifier group:

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

LaRocque — Thu, 30 May 2024 20:44:56 GMT

Hiya! I'm afraid I have nothing but empathy and a sad "nope". We fight the same thing with side salads that are part of the meal. When there is only one item on the ticket, you can always print the label on demand. But if you have a Pancake combo and three other single-box items, it doesn't make sense to reprint the entire order again. FWIW, I have asked this same question of Toast, so it's somewhere in their FR queue.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

Sdaniel — Thu, 30 May 2024 21:25:08 GMT

That's such a bummer! Thanks for responding and I am glad to see that it's not just us that would benefit from having such feature.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

LaRocque — Thu, 30 May 2024 21:37:20 GMT

True that. This was my use case. Similar result, different use case.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

au79teahouse — Thu, 30 May 2024 23:11:48 GMT

separate tickets as in "Lemon Poppy Pancakes" on one ticket and "Combo: scrambled & bacon" on another ticket?

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

Sdaniel — Thu, 30 May 2024 23:29:01 GMT

@au79teahouse, yes that is correct.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

au79teahouse — Fri, 31 May 2024 01:26:21 GMT

If that's the case, it has to do with the preparation configuration under your modifier item.

Try the followings :
1. create a new prep station (I will call it kitchen2 for reference).
2. link "kitchen2" to your current kitchen ticket printer.

Under modifier group's preparation section
1. assign the course to something else. Or create a new course if non of the existing ones is applicable.
2. uncheck the prep station it currently is assigned to.
3. check "kitchen2" as its new prep station.
4. click "save" and then "publish"
5. Send in a test order and see if the result is what you desire.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

Sdaniel — Fri, 31 May 2024 17:11:47 GMT

Thanks for the tip! Will this affect how the kitchen tickets prints? Currently we only use the "Food" prep station for all of our entrees, and we don't use coursing. The Food prep station is assigned to our kitchen printers.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

au79teahouse — Fri, 31 May 2024 17:38:28 GMT

If you don’t use coursing, you don’t need to assign one.

It won’t affect how tickets currently print if I understand you correctly. You should get two separate chits printed from the same printer when someone orders a lemon poppy pancakes combo, one for the pancakes and one for the egg and bacon. I believe on the KDS it will show as two separate blocks as well.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

Sdaniel — Fri, 31 May 2024 17:42:23 GMT

Yes, we do want two separate tickets, but just for the tickets printing from the Epson L90 thermal printer. The Epson L90 printer is located at our carryout station where we package to-go orders and label the boxes. We only want 1 ticket to print at the kitchen printer, which is the printer our cooks use, our cooks do not use the Epson L90 printer. We also don't want it to appear as separate blocks on the KDS.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

rcmck — Fri, 31 May 2024 18:05:12 GMT

How are you currently handling the tickets going to the L90? Is it just item rerouting from existing prep stations based on dining behavior?

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

Sdaniel — Fri, 31 May 2024 18:09:12 GMT

The printer is assigned to a KDS, which we only use for Carryout orders. Currently we have it set up where the staff will manually print the ticket by selecting on the order on the KDS and printing labels for every item on the order. We don't have any item routing. We are OK with employees manually printing the tickets as it helps them keep organized as orders are packaged. The cooks have their own KDS and kitchen printer for dine in and carryout orders.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

rcmck — Fri, 31 May 2024 18:27:56 GMT

Oh okay, on demand I don't think you can accomplish this, @au79teahouse ideas would work but it would print the label as soon as the item came in and probably just confuse things.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

Sdaniel — Fri, 31 May 2024 18:29:29 GMT

Thanks for the insight @rcmck. I may just try out what @au79teahouse suggested and see if we can work through it.

Thanks everyone!

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

au79teahouse — Fri, 31 May 2024 19:19:24 GMT

Got you. I missed the L90 label printer part. I'm sorry about the confusion.

It will be the same concept with L90. However, the only way to to print parent item and children item on separate label on demand is to have separate blocks on KDS. And the format of the label will look like a regular kitchen ticket, not the same format as it is printed from an expediter KDS.

Re: Epson L90: Printing Modifiers

au79teahouse — Fri, 31 May 2024 19:26:18 GMT

I agree with you. But it is possible with some tweaks. Set the item and mod item to show on separate blocks on the KDS and set the server's KDS as a "prep station" and on demand printing is possible. But just like you said that will make things more confusing.