routing configuration issues

[SteveFortunato]

Is there a way that we can set up our system to allow us to split our menu between 2 kitchens when were busy and 1 kitchen when were slow. I have set up different item routing, prep stations, service areas and its still not behaving like we want it to. 

We also have 2 expo screens and I was wondering if there was a way for those screens to act separately?

Were coming from Aloha and we were able to split up our dining rooms by seat number and they would route to different areas of the kitchen when triggered and I'm trying to replicate that here. 

Any help is greatly appreciated

TIA!!!

[au79teahouse]

Could you share more information on your current configuration, how it currently does not work out for you, and what you expect the item routing to behave?

In the meanwhile, people asked similar topics like yours in the past. Hope it would help. The links are below:
https://community.toasttab.com/t5/restaurant-operations/routing-tickets-by-service-area/m-p/13026
https://community.toasttab.com/t5/fast-casual/splitting-orders-to-kds-printer/m-p/10326

[SteveFortunato]

i have 2 kitchens. We use 1 when were busy and the other is in use all of the time. We have expanded our building and will need to utilize this second kitchen on the weekends and during other peak periods. Whe were not using the second kitchen we can run just fine off our main kitchen. 

We have KDS units at each f our 4 stations plus a kitchen expo screen. I have the same set up in our second kitchen, 4 station KDS units and an expo unit. 

Our entire building shares the same menu and we have all of our prep stations currently set up and everything works beautifuly. Its sending everything to both kitchens and properly splitting the building thats causing me the hang up. 

I would love if if someone could pick up a handheld and when they ring in something in one part of the building the order goes to 1 kitchen, then when they go to another area the order goes to the other kitchen. Then we would just turn off the KDS units and everything reroutes to the main kitchen. 

hopefully that helps answer some questions. 

TIA!!!

[rcmck]

Unfortunately I don't see a way to get this to work completely automatically, would need some manual changes in backend or on devices whenever you wanted to use 2nd kitchen.

To answer the expeditor question, you can only have one expeditor, but you could kind of use it as two if you setup another dine in dining option for the other kitchen, but you would need to manually assign that as the default dining option on each handheld or device in the areas of the dining room that you want to go to the 2nd kitchen, then you would just filter the main dining option from showing on the Expo KDS, and the 2nd dining option from showing on the main kitchen expo. Another advantage of using another dining option is it would really simplify this setup and you would not even need any additional prep stations or item routing. You would just filter the main dining option from the screens in the 2nd kitchen, and the other dinging option from the devices in the main kitchen, then on nights where you don't need second kitchen, just choose to show both dining options on your main kitchen screens.

If you need to be able to move around the dining room with the same device then you would need to use service areas and item routing to reroute depending on the service area the table is in.  You would need a route for each prep station, and would need to manually change all the route on the nights you need to use the other kitchen. There is no turn off KDS and reroute to original like you can do with printers and their assigned backup printers.

In this situation you could kind of create a fake expo that would just be the 2nd kitchen Expo KDS put into prep station mode rather than expeditor with all of the 2nd kitchen prep stations selected. (but no on expo fulfillment features like notifications or SMS messages would work, if you use any of those.)