What are ConnectSmart® Kitchen users saying about the software?

Great People, Great product

I think it is great, the team there, [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] have supported us since early 2000's and are great partners who understand the product inside and out and can make great recommendations. The team we worked with for CSK8 upgrade did an amazing job, [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] and enjoyed working with them. I dont have to interact with support much as the software is steady and runs without technical errors.

Pros

I am able for the most part to make changes and understand what those changes are going to do without too much help from QSR. It is intuitive so I can try things on my own and see if they work.

Cons

There are some features that have multiple options and some that could use another option. For example Concepts feature we use to signify an item has to go to another station to be sold. However the feature is only able to be used with plu numbers and there are only a few spaces so editing the xml is the only way to manage it and I have to add each item every time we add a new item. I would like the ability to use a different method, like a print route (qsr calls it Department) then I would only have to set that up once and its done. I dont like managing the differences between our sites, but that isnt qsr fault. I have 3 different datasets and to manage it, I have to send down individual files to each site, well all the files are named the same so I get confused. I have to change the datasets on different days to differentiate which file goes where. I dont like the kitchen console being in the cloud as the managers would like to have to have the ability to delete stuck checks if needed, but since it is by ip address, it is something that would be site specific. If it was something that had a GUI where the Kitchen Console had a link on the local side, but you could use a drop down box to assign the ip automatically so you are sure you have the correct IP per site. Because once you do get to kitchen console, it doesnt say which site you are in, and it could be possible to be deleting checks from another location, so we are not able to allow them to use that feature

A versatile solution for all types of restaurant operations

Pros

The best thing about Connect Smart Kitchen is its versatility. I hvae used the solution in full service dining restaurants with 300-600 seats as well as fast casual restaurants with the majority of the business coming from digital channels and the food being consumed off premise. The product is so flexible that you can solve for almost any operational situation you can think of. I have you used several other kitchen management products from major POS providiers and none can match Connect Smart Kitchen

Cons

The Con, comes as a price for the solution being so flexible. It is not easy to configure. I have been using the solution for over six years now and feel like I am still a novice. I rely on my sales engineer to help with most of the configuration.

Need a Quickservice Option

Pros

The new graphics capabilities compared to KDS.

Cons

We are a quick service chain with no need for 90% of the functionality of ConnectSmart yet we need to purchase the full package just to get the speed of service data.

QSR Connect Smart Review

Overall using Connect Smart Kitchen has completely transformed our kitchen performance. Our cook times have dropped considerably and the overall noise level in the kitchen has dropped.

Pros

I really like the cloud based management ability in the QSR portal it gives me the ability to easily manage the QSR platform for 35+ locations from my office. The portal also gives me the ability to view reports of ticket times and metrics on different stations by location to be able to identify bottlenecks or issues in the restaurant.

Cons

The portal can be confusing because of all the features that this software has. I think the layout of the management portal could be redesigned for ease of use with dropdowns or check boxes. This software is not for someone who is not tech savvy.

KDS Works

We have been fine with it. Seems to be the main player in the market.

Pros

The ability to space out the timing on our stations and correctly design plays based on it.

Cons

the inability to upgrade old versions to new versions

I Implement our QSR solution - Its a great product, getting better all the time!

many. timing/routing of items, reporting, Micros integration - cloud integration with other QSR products

Pros

CSK delivers the solution we need for our restaurant. The design and functionality meet professional standards and are easy to use. Updates for feature requests are frequent. Support for this product is excellent.

Cons

Some design elements of the Builder need attention. Manual TeamAssist db distribution (hope to resolve this in 2.0) Few complaints, but have a couple of feature requests that can resolve all claims.

Great solution for my Operations

I'm very happy with QSR as a customer for the last 5 years. I strongly recommend the solution for restaurant industry

Pros

Improvement of my Operations standards Monitoring of my Back of House Higher my quality of service, speeding delivery to the table Constant improvment and new releases

Cons

Working in Italy, the support is a bit too far

QSR KDS

Little rough in the first year or so. Now can't see opening a store without it.

Pros

We have used it for so long that the implementation is so much easier now and we can get through almost any issue pretty quickly.

Cons

That I forget some of the easy steps to get things dealt with.

Review of KDS

Pros

Features and above store management is key

Cons

Overall the platform is stable and works great.

Have worked with QSR to expand our KDS platform for Mimi's. Pilot went well, so far so good!

This has allowed our managers to operate more efficiently, drive lower ticket times, and increase the overall guest satisfaction.

Pros

Our administration team uses this more often than I do, but I hear consistently from them and our operators that the reporting is great and has given managers quality info that has driven efficiency.

Great Product! Great Support!

Improves efficiency in the kitchen!

Pros

Software is very customizable and the support for the product is tremendous! Our current dataset has a lot going on and the support staff is very knowledgeable and has the experience to dissect issues specific to our environment.

Cons

Only knock is the maintenance for bin counts is only maintainable at the site level in our current version of CSK(3.8)

ePic Kitchen Display System Review

Been involved with QSR for years. CSK is a great solution.

Pros

Product is full of options and now it includes a wireless keypad option

Cons

n/a .

Hard to set up, but works as a charm

CSK is a great solution, not just is way to have the chits displayes, but a real kitchen automation tool.

Pros

The actual software CSK and the screens is rock solid.

Cons

the setup, CSK Builder, is not that great. it is a LOT of work to have a simple setup, and there are checkboxes everywhere. i havent counted, but seems there are like 100.000 checkboxes.

I support the software when the administrator is not available. No major problems to express.

Pros

I like the integration it has with Aloha and how easy it is to make changes on the fly. Administering the software isn't hard.

Cons

The system feels outdated and the UI is clunky. While the flexibility is nice, the appearance isn't as appealing as the newer KDS systems such as Revel.

Kitchen QSR

Organization is not always easy when receiving kitchen orders. KDS makes it possible.

Pros

Powerfull tool to keep kitchen orders organized and easy to get an overall look on how things are going. Very user friendly.

Cons

It needs a lot of time to get the programs working the way you really want to. On the version we use, it's limited to 6 orders displayed on the screen.