diff --git a/docs/architecture/frontend-boundary.md b/docs/architecture/frontend-boundary.md
index 28cc840..2c116de 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/frontend-boundary.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/frontend-boundary.md
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@
 
 ## UI Workflow Coverage
 
-- Customer order status dashboard with current orders
+- Customer order status dashboard with current orders from the shared restaurant lifecycle
 - Selected order detail lookup
 - Recent order history and event feed
-- Customer order submission and recent submission results
+- Customer order submission and recent submission results with shared-lifecycle progression hints
 - Session-expired handling with reauthentication guidance
 - Protected route shell for status, submission, and session inspection
diff --git a/docs/runbooks/local-development.md b/docs/runbooks/local-development.md
index 777b87e..67d2098 100644
--- a/docs/runbooks/local-development.md
+++ b/docs/runbooks/local-development.md
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ npm run dev
 
 ## Available Screens
 
-- `/status`: current order status, selected order detail, history, and recent events
-- `/submit`: customer order submission and recent submission results
+- `/status`: current order status, selected order detail, history, recent events, and shared-lifecycle guidance
+- `/submit`: customer order submission and recent submission results with kitchen/payment readiness hints
 - `/session`: current Thalos session profile payload
 
 ## Build
diff --git a/docs/runbooks/testing.md b/docs/runbooks/testing.md
index 07ca6d3..a1194a1 100644
--- a/docs/runbooks/testing.md
+++ b/docs/runbooks/testing.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ npm run test:ci
 - `src/api/client.test.ts`: runtime-config precedence and fallback behavior.
 - `src/api/dashboardApi.test.ts`: endpoint path/query composition for status, detail, history, and submit flows.
 - `src/auth/oidcLogin.test.ts`: OIDC start-url generation and safe return-url fallback.
-- `src/App.test.tsx`: central login screen, status/detail/history loading, order submission, and session-expired reauthentication guidance.
+- `src/App.test.tsx`: central login screen, shared-lifecycle order messaging, order submission progression hints, and session-expired reauthentication guidance.
 
 ## Notes
 
diff --git a/src/App.test.tsx b/src/App.test.tsx
index 5fd772e..7f10eca 100644
--- a/src/App.test.tsx
+++ b/src/App.test.tsx
@@ -57,20 +57,20 @@ describe('Customer Orders App', () => {
     vi.mocked(loadDashboard).mockResolvedValue({
       contextId: 'demo-context',
       summary: '2 open orders',
-      orders: [{ orderId: 'CO-1001', tableId: 'T-08', status: 'Submitted', guestCount: 2, itemIds: ['ITEM-101'] }],
+      orders: [{ orderId: 'ORD-1001', tableId: 'T-08', status: 'Preparing', guestCount: 2, itemIds: ['ITEM-101'] }],
       recentEvents: ['status payload event']
     });
     vi.mocked(loadOrderHistory).mockResolvedValue({
       contextId: 'demo-context',
       summary: 'recent history',
-      orders: [{ orderId: 'CO-0999', tableId: 'T-04', status: 'Completed', guestCount: 3, itemIds: ['ITEM-202'] }],
-      recentEvents: ['Order CO-0999 completed']
+      orders: [{ orderId: 'ORD-0999', tableId: 'T-04', status: 'Served', guestCount: 3, itemIds: ['ITEM-202'] }],
+      recentEvents: ['Order ORD-0999 completed service and is ready for payment capture']
     });
     vi.mocked(loadOrderDetail).mockResolvedValue({
       contextId: 'demo-context',
       summary: 'selected order',
-      order: { orderId: 'CO-1001', tableId: 'T-08', status: 'Submitted', guestCount: 2, itemIds: ['ITEM-101'] },
-      recentEvents: ['Order CO-1001 confirmed']
+      order: { orderId: 'ORD-1001', tableId: 'T-08', status: 'Preparing', guestCount: 2, itemIds: ['ITEM-101'] },
+      recentEvents: ['Order ORD-1001 confirmed']
     });
 
     render(<App />);
@@ -80,9 +80,10 @@ describe('Customer Orders App', () => {
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(loadDashboard).toHaveBeenCalledWith('demo-context'));
     expect(loadOrderHistory).toHaveBeenCalledWith('demo-context');
-    expect(loadOrderDetail).toHaveBeenCalledWith('demo-context', 'CO-1001');
+    expect(loadOrderDetail).toHaveBeenCalledWith('demo-context', 'ORD-1001');
     expect(await screen.findByText('2 open orders')).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(await screen.findByText('Order CO-0999 completed')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(await screen.findByText('Order ORD-0999 completed service and is ready for payment capture')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(await screen.findByText('Submitted customer orders progress through kitchen preparation and become payable only after service is complete.')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
   it('submits customer order from action route', async () => {
@@ -94,21 +95,22 @@ describe('Customer Orders App', () => {
     });
     vi.mocked(submitCustomerOrder).mockResolvedValue({
       contextId: 'demo-context',
-      orderId: 'CO-2200',
+      orderId: 'ORD-2200',
       accepted: true,
-      summary: 'accepted',
-      status: 'Submitted'
+      summary: 'Order ORD-2200 was accepted and is ready for kitchen dispatch.',
+      status: 'accepted'
     });
 
     render(<App />);
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByText('Submit Order')).toBeInTheDocument());
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('Submit Order'));
-    fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText('Order Id'), { target: { value: 'CO-2200' } });
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText('Order Id'), { target: { value: 'ORD-2200' } });
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit Customer Order' }));
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(submitCustomerOrder).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
-    expect((await screen.findAllByText('Submitted')).length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect((await screen.findAllByText('accepted')).length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(await screen.findByText('The kitchen should receive this order next.')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
   it('shows reauthentication guidance when status loading returns session expired', async () => {
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index fa33d9f..e6ecf8f 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ const orderColumns = [
   {
     title: 'Status',
     dataIndex: 'status',
-    render: (value: string) => <Tag color={value === 'Submitted' ? 'blue' : 'green'}>{value}</Tag>
+    render: (value: string) => <Tag color={workflowTagColor(value)}>{value}</Tag>
   },
   { title: 'Guests', dataIndex: 'guestCount' },
   {
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ function CustomerOrdersShell() {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   const [contextId, setContextId] = useState('demo-context');
-  const [statusOrderId, setStatusOrderId] = useState('CO-1001');
+  const [statusOrderId, setStatusOrderId] = useState('ORD-1001');
   const [statusPayload, setStatusPayload] = useState<CustomerOrderStatusResponse | null>(null);
   const [detailPayload, setDetailPayload] = useState<CustomerOrderDetailResponse | null>(null);
   const [historyPayload, setHistoryPayload] = useState<CustomerOrderHistoryResponse | null>(null);
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ function CustomerOrdersShell() {
         <Layout.Content className="content">
           <Typography.Title level={3}>Customer Orders</Typography.Title>
           <Typography.Paragraph type="secondary">
-            Protected order workflows for status, detail, history, and submission through the customer-orders BFF.
+            Protected order workflows for status, detail, history, and submission through the shared restaurant lifecycle.
           </Typography.Paragraph>
           {session.error && <Alert className="stack-gap" type="warning" showIcon message={session.error} />}
           {workflowState.error && (
@@ -292,6 +292,9 @@ function CustomerOrdersShell() {
                           <Descriptions bordered size="small" column={1}>
                             <Descriptions.Item label="Context Id">{statusPayload.contextId}</Descriptions.Item>
                             <Descriptions.Item label="Summary">{statusPayload.summary}</Descriptions.Item>
+                            <Descriptions.Item label="Lifecycle Note">
+                              Submitted customer orders progress through kitchen preparation and become payable only after service is complete.
+                            </Descriptions.Item>
                           </Descriptions>
                           <Table<CustomerOrderSummary>
                             pagination={false}
@@ -313,9 +316,12 @@ function CustomerOrdersShell() {
                         <Descriptions.Item label="Summary">{detailPayload.summary}</Descriptions.Item>
                         <Descriptions.Item label="Order Id">{detailPayload.order.orderId}</Descriptions.Item>
                         <Descriptions.Item label="Table Id">{detailPayload.order.tableId}</Descriptions.Item>
-                        <Descriptions.Item label="Status">{detailPayload.order.status}</Descriptions.Item>
+                        <Descriptions.Item label="Status">
+                          <Tag color={workflowTagColor(detailPayload.order.status)}>{detailPayload.order.status}</Tag>
+                        </Descriptions.Item>
                         <Descriptions.Item label="Guest Count">{detailPayload.order.guestCount}</Descriptions.Item>
                         <Descriptions.Item label="Items">{detailPayload.order.itemIds.join(', ')}</Descriptions.Item>
+                        <Descriptions.Item label="Next Step">{orderProgressHint(detailPayload.order.status)}</Descriptions.Item>
                       </Descriptions>
                     ) : (
                       <Empty description="Provide an order id to inspect detail alongside the status dashboard." />
@@ -354,7 +360,7 @@ function CustomerOrdersShell() {
                         layout="vertical"
                         initialValues={{
                           contextId,
-                          orderId: 'CO-1001',
+                          orderId: 'ORD-1001',
                           tableId: 'T-08',
                           guestCount: 2,
                           itemIdsText: 'ITEM-101,ITEM-202'
@@ -385,8 +391,11 @@ function CustomerOrdersShell() {
                           <Descriptions.Item label="Context Id">{orderResponse.contextId}</Descriptions.Item>
                           <Descriptions.Item label="Order Id">{orderResponse.orderId}</Descriptions.Item>
                           <Descriptions.Item label="Accepted">{String(orderResponse.accepted)}</Descriptions.Item>
-                          <Descriptions.Item label="Status">{orderResponse.status}</Descriptions.Item>
+                          <Descriptions.Item label="Status">
+                            <Tag color={workflowTagColor(orderResponse.status)}>{orderResponse.status}</Tag>
+                          </Descriptions.Item>
                           <Descriptions.Item label="Summary">{orderResponse.summary}</Descriptions.Item>
+                          <Descriptions.Item label="Next Step">{orderProgressHint(orderResponse.status)}</Descriptions.Item>
                         </Descriptions>
                       ) : (
                         <Empty description="Submit an order to inspect the accepted response payload." />
@@ -406,7 +415,10 @@ function CustomerOrdersShell() {
                           title: 'Accepted',
                           render: (_, record) => <Tag color={record.accepted ? 'green' : 'red'}>{String(record.accepted)}</Tag>
                         },
-                        { title: 'Status', dataIndex: 'status' },
+                        {
+                          title: 'Status',
+                          render: (_, record) => <Tag color={workflowTagColor(record.status)}>{record.status}</Tag>
+                        },
                         { title: 'Summary', dataIndex: 'summary' }
                       ]}
                     />
@@ -447,4 +459,48 @@ function providerLabel(provider: IdentityProvider): string {
   return String(provider);
 }
 
+function workflowTagColor(status: string): string {
+  switch (status.toLowerCase()) {
+    case 'accepted':
+    case 'submitted':
+      return 'blue';
+    case 'preparing':
+    case 'cooking':
+      return 'gold';
+    case 'ready':
+    case 'readyforpickup':
+      return 'cyan';
+    case 'served':
+      return 'green';
+    case 'paid':
+      return 'purple';
+    case 'blocked':
+    case 'failed':
+    case 'canceled':
+      return 'red';
+    default:
+      return 'default';
+  }
+}
+
+function orderProgressHint(status: string): string {
+  switch (status.toLowerCase()) {
+    case 'accepted':
+    case 'submitted':
+      return 'The kitchen should receive this order next.';
+    case 'preparing':
+    case 'cooking':
+      return 'Kitchen is actively preparing this order.';
+    case 'ready':
+    case 'readyforpickup':
+      return 'This order is ready for handoff or table delivery.';
+    case 'served':
+      return 'The restaurant can now open payment capture for this check.';
+    case 'paid':
+      return 'This order and its check are fully completed.';
+    default:
+      return 'Track this order across the shared restaurant lifecycle.';
+  }
+}
+
 export default App;