Back-of-house (BOH) encompasses all spaces and systems used to produce and fulfill customer orders — including the kitchen, food storage, prep lines, and dishwashing areas. In modern QSR and fast casual environments, BOH also includes connected technologies like Kitchen Display Systems (KDS), IoT sensor nodes, [[edge computing]] devices, and smart appliances.
This is where the core operational load happens: ingredients are prepared, orders are cooked or assembled, and digital orders from [[front-of-house]] systems are translated into actions.
Keeping BOH technology updated and integrated with the rest of the restaurant technology stack is central to supporting the [[connected restaurant]] business model.
Goal of Back-of-House Optimization
The goal is to increase throughput, reduce waste, and deliver consistent quality under high demand. Efficient BOH systems also help reduce employee stress, training complexity, and operational costs — while improving speed of service and order accuracy.
Key Functions
- Executes customer orders received from the [[point-of-sale system]] or digital channels
- Coordinates cook times, assembly, and fulfillment steps
- Hosts smart hardware for automation and real-time tracking
- Interfaces with [[order throttling]] and [[digital queue management]] tools
- Enables data collection for performance monitoring and forecasting
Challenges
- Balancing speed with accuracy during peak periods
- Integrating legacy and new smart kitchen systems
- Maintaining equipment uptime and food safety standards
- Aligning digital orders with real-time kitchen capacity
Canopy’s Role
Canopy gives operators full visibility into back-of-house performance through device-level monitoring, custom alerts, and remote diagnostics. From detecting issues in [[digital makelines]] to ensuring [[uptime]] for [[connected restaurant]] hardware, Canopy helps operators stay ahead of disruptions. With Canopy, kitchens run more efficiently — and guests receive their orders faster and more reliably.
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