Restaurant KOT explained — from order to GST bill

What is a KOT (Kitchen Order Ticket)?

A KOT is a printed or digital slip that travels from the front of house to the kitchen the moment a customer orders. It lists:

• Every dish ordered and quantity
• Table number (or token for takeaway)
• Special preparation instructions — no paneer, extra spicy, half portion

The KOT is an internal document. It never shows prices and is not given to the customer. Its purpose is to tell the kitchen exactly what to cook so no dish is forgotten or duplicated.

Why restaurants use a KOT system

Without KOTs, orders communicated verbally or on notepad paper create predictable problems:

• Dishes forgotten because handwriting was unclear
• Duplicate items prepared because two staff relayed the same order
• Billing errors from unrecorded add-on orders
• No shared source of truth between kitchen and front-of-house

A KOT system logs every order digitally, prints it on the kitchen printer immediately, and tracks it until the bill is settled.

Dine-in KOT flow — step by step

Step 1 — Customer seated and orders

Staff taps the table on BillRaja's restaurant workspace table map and begins adding dishes from the product catalogue — the same catalogue powering the public QR menu.

Step 2 — Send the KOT

Tap Send KOT. BillRaja simultaneously:

• Saves the order against the table number in the app
• Prints the KOT on the kitchen thermal printer (dish names, quantities, table number, instructions)

The table is marked occupied with an open order.

Step 3 — Additional items (second KOT)

If the customer orders more dishes, staff taps the same table and adds the new items. Only the new items print — the kitchen is not shown items already in progress. BillRaja accumulates all KOTs against the table internally.

Step 4 — Generate the GST bill

When the customer asks for the check, tap Generate Bill. BillRaja:

• Consolidates all KOTs for the table into one order
• Applies GST (5% for non-AC restaurants; 18% for AC restaurants serving alcohol)
• Generates a GST-compliant invoice: sequential BR-YYYY-NNNNN number, CGST + SGST split, restaurant GSTIN
• Prints the bill and optionally sends as PDF over WhatsApp

Payment recorded → table marked free on the table map.

Takeaway KOT flow

Same system, one difference: instead of a table number, the KOT carries a token number or customer name. Billing is identical — items added, KOT sent to kitchen, GST invoice generated on payment (typically before food is prepared or on pickup).

KOT vs. bill — at a glance

Managing KOTs during peak service

BillRaja's table map shows status at a glance during busy periods:

• Free tables — green, available for seating
• Occupied with open KOT — order placed, food in progress
• Bill requested — customer asked for the check, awaiting payment

From KOT to GSTR reports

Every bill generated from a KOT is a proper GST invoice. BillRaja aggregates them into GSTR-3B-ready monthly reports — total taxable turnover, total CGST, SGST and IGST. Hand the report to your accountant or use it to file directly.

Customers who need a copy for reimbursement or GST records can retrieve it themselves through the customer bill portal using their phone number — no repeat visit to the restaurant required.