KOT system for restaurants and cafes in Nepal
Almost every restaurant in Nepal already runs a KOT system — usually a pink carbon pad and a waiter walking it to the kitchen. Here is how the paper version works, where it leaks money, and what a printed or on-screen KOT system changes.
How the KOT system runs in a Nepali restaurant
The waiter takes the order at the table and writes it on a KOT pad — usually a numbered carbon book, the top copy torn off for the kitchen and the duplicate kept at the counter. Drinks go on a separate BOT (bar order ticket) for the bar. At the end of the meal the counter adds up the duplicates for that table and writes the bill.
It works, and it is why the word KOT is so common here: the counter copy is the only record that an item was ever ordered. Every problem with the paper system is a problem with that copy going missing, being misread, or never being added to the bill.
What the KOT number on a bill means
Many bills in Nepal print a “KOT No.” or a list of KOTs. It is the number of each ticket the order went out on — one table can run up three or four KOTs over a long sitting, one per round of ordering. The number lets the counter match the bill back to what the kitchen actually received, and lets you settle a dispute (“we never ordered the second plate”) by finding the ticket instead of arguing about it.
In software, the number is assigned when the order is placed, so it cannot be skipped or reused, and the kitchen calls out the same number the counter sees.
Where the paper pad loses money
None of these show up as a line in your accounts, which is why they last so long.
- A counter copy that never reaches the bill — the dish was cooked, eaten and never charged
- A kitchen copy lost on the way, so the guest waits, complains, and gets it free
- A cancellation shouted across the floor that never reaches the kitchen, so it is plated anyway
- Handwriting misread during a rush — the wrong dish made, the right one made again
- No way to tell, at the end of the night, which of those happened
Paper, printed, or on a screen
There are three ways to run KOTs, and plenty of places mix them.
| Handwritten pad | Printed KOT | Kitchen display | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start-up cost | A few hundred rupees in pads | A thermal printer per station | A tablet or screen in the kitchen |
| Running cost | Pads | Thermal rolls | None |
| Lost tickets | Common | Rare — it prints itself | None — it stays on screen |
| Kitchen and bar split | Waiter writes two tickets | Routed to each printer automatically | Each station sees its own |
| Cancellations | Shouted, or a new chit | A void slip prints | Ticket updates on screen |
| Record for disputes | If the counter copy survives | Every ticket, timestamped | Every ticket, timestamped |
What a KOT system needs to get right in Nepal
Most KOT software was written for somewhere else. A few things matter here specifically.
- The KOT and the bill come from one order, so the bill cannot miss an item the kitchen made
- Kitchen and bar split automatically — KOT to the kitchen, BOT to the bar
- The bill is a proper PAN or VAT bill with fiscal-year numbering and Bikram Sambat dates, not a receipt that only looks like one
- A clear answer to what happens to a ticket when the connection drops — ask every vendor, and ask them to show you
- Ordinary thermal printers over Wi-Fi or USB, not a proprietary terminal
How TableSathi does it
In TableSathi the waiter enters the order on any phone or tablet, and the KOT prints at the kitchen and the BOT at the bar the moment it is sent — through a small print agent that links ordinary thermal printers to the system. Cancel an item and a void slip prints at that station. If the kitchen prefers a screen, the same tickets appear on the kitchen display instead, or as well.
Because the ticket and the bill come from the same order, the counter never re-types anything, and every KOT is on record against the table.
Common questions.
What is a KOT system in a restaurant?+
A KOT system is how orders get from the floor to the kitchen. The waiter records each order on a kitchen order ticket — handwritten, printed, or shown on a screen — which tells the kitchen what to cook, for which table, with any special notes. In Nepal most restaurants start with numbered carbon pads, with a separate BOT (bar order ticket) for drinks. Software-based KOT systems do the same job automatically: the ticket prints or appears at the right station the moment the order is entered, and the bill is built from the same order.
What does KOT No. mean on a bill?+
It is the number of the kitchen order ticket the items were sent on. A table often orders in rounds, so one bill can list several KOT numbers. The number links the bill to what the kitchen actually received, which is how a counter checks that nothing was missed and how a disputed item gets traced. In software the number is assigned automatically when the order is placed, so it cannot be skipped or duplicated.
Do I need a separate printer for the kitchen and the bar?+
Only if they are separate rooms or counters. A KOT system routes each item to its station — food to the kitchen, drinks to the bar — and that works best with one printer at each. A small cafe where one person makes both food and drinks can run on a single printer. You can also skip paper in the kitchen entirely and use a kitchen display screen, keeping a printer only at the counter for bills.
Does a KOT system work during a power cut or when the internet goes down?+
A thermal printer needs power, so a power cut stops printing whichever system you use — a small backup supply for the router and printers is worth having. Internet drops are a different matter: a good system queues tickets and prints them as soon as the connection returns rather than losing them. Ask any vendor exactly what happens to an order sent while the connection is down.
Run your cafe the simpler way.
Orders, kitchen tickets, billing, and stock in one place — built for cafes in Nepal.