Written by Jason Feemster, POS specialist with 15+ years of experience helping restaurants and retailers troubleshoot POS systems, payments, and hardware issues.
Common Issue: Items print at the wrong kitchen or bar printer, or don’t print at all.
Fast Fixes: Restart terminals, verify item routing, check printer assignments, test network status.
Need guided troubleshooting? Try the POSUSA POS Support Assistant (Free).
Aloha printer routing wrong items? Drinks firing to the expo, salads printing at the bar, or nothing hitting the kitchen printer at all?
Routing issues slow down service — but you can fix them fast with this guide.
Table of Contents
Common Causes of Wrong Printer Routing in Aloha
- Incorrect item routing setup in BOH
- Wrong revenue centers or job assignments
- Printer ID mismatches between terminals and BOH
- Kitchen printer offline or network dropped
- Menu screen & modifier mapping not synced
- Missing printer group configuration for new items
How to Fix Aloha Printer Mapping
1. Restart Terminals to Pull Fresh Routing Data
New routing requires a reboot to download BOH updates.
- Restart terminal(s) with wrong print behavior
- Test order routing again
If only one screen prints incorrectly → device-specific routing issue.
2. Verify Item Routing Setup
Items may exist but not be assigned to the correct printer group.
- Check Item Routing in BOH
- Confirm correct printer group assignments
- Verify new menu items included in routing
Often missed during menu updates or seasonal changes.
3. Check Kitchen Printer Status & Cables
If a printer is offline → Aloha reroutes to backup stations or fails entirely.
- Ensure printer has power & paper
- Check network connection (Ethernet lights on?)
- Test a manual print/order
Blame the network before blaming BOH — it’s usually the culprit.
4. Confirm Revenue Center & Job Mapping
Terminals may use different routing rules by position or area.
- Check employee job role settings
- Confirm correct revenue center on terminal
If routing incorrect only during certain shifts → role-level routing issue.
5. Inspect Modifier Routing for Mistakes
Modifiers might route differently than parent items.
- Check for printer groups on modifiers
- Ensure they are assigned to same prep station
Modifications like “no ice” shouldn’t fire to expo alone.
When to Call Aloha Support
- Routing fails system-wide after several sync attempts
- Printer IDs not matching BOH assignments
- Kitchen printers repeatedly disconnect
- Routing works… then randomly breaks again
Aloha Printer Routing – FAQs
Why do some items print correctly and others don’t?
Why do drinks print in expo?
Why does routing break randomly?
Why are tickets delayed or doubled?
Try the POSUSA POS Support Assistant
Need help getting items to print in the right place?
- POSUSA POS Support Assistant
- Select Aloha
- Search: “printer routing”
- Follow the guided steps
Stops chaos in the kitchen before it starts.
Thinking About Switching POS Systems?
If you’re dealing with repeated POS issues, it might be time to compare more reliable options built for restaurants and retail businesses.
Takes 30 seconds • No sales pressure
