diff --git a/docs/architecture/frontend-boundary.md b/docs/architecture/frontend-boundary.md
index f4d64e7..19bd217 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/frontend-boundary.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/frontend-boundary.md
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@
 ## UI Workflow Coverage
 
 - Kitchen board lanes with work-item detail and station coverage
-- Board event feed derived from the loaded lane state
+- Board event feed derived from the loaded lane state and shared restaurant lifecycle progression
 - Claim, release, transition, and priority operator actions
 - Latest operator result and recent action history
 - Session-expired handling with reauthentication guidance
 - Protected route shell for board, operator actions, and session inspection
+- Kitchen transitions are presented as order progression toward floor handoff and payment eligibility.
diff --git a/docs/runbooks/local-development.md b/docs/runbooks/local-development.md
index 14838af..bbb9775 100644
--- a/docs/runbooks/local-development.md
+++ b/docs/runbooks/local-development.md
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ npm run dev
 ## Available Screens
 
 - `/board`: lane-based kitchen board and board event feed
+- `/board`: lane-based kitchen board tied to restaurant order progression and handoff readiness
 - `/actions`: claim, release, transition, and priority operator controls
 - `/session`: current Thalos session profile payload
 
diff --git a/docs/runbooks/testing.md b/docs/runbooks/testing.md
index 5f4fe75..54417c5 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 board and operator action flows.
 - `src/auth/oidcLogin.test.ts`: OIDC start-url generation and safe return-url fallback.
-- `src/App.test.tsx`: central login screen, board lane loading, operator actions, and session-expired reauthentication guidance.
+- `src/App.test.tsx`: central login screen, lifecycle-aware board loading, operator actions, and session-expired reauthentication guidance.
 
 ## Notes
 
diff --git a/src/App.test.tsx b/src/App.test.tsx
index 1e13ced..f13ccfb 100644
--- a/src/App.test.tsx
+++ b/src/App.test.tsx
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ describe('Kitchen Ops App', () => {
       summary: '2 active kitchen lanes',
       lanes: [
         {
-          lane: 'Cooking',
+          lane: 'Ready',
           items: [
             {
               workItemId: 'WORK-1',
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ describe('Kitchen Ops App', () => {
               ticketId: 'TICK-1',
               tableId: 'T-01',
               station: 'Grill',
-              state: 'Cooking',
+              state: 'Ready',
               priority: 2,
               claimedBy: 'chef-a',
               etaMinutes: 12
@@ -92,8 +92,9 @@ describe('Kitchen Ops App', () => {
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Load Kitchen Board' }));
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(loadDashboard).toHaveBeenCalledWith('demo-context'));
-    expect(await screen.findByText('Lane: Cooking')).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(await screen.findByText('Cooking: WORK-1 at Grill is Cooking')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(await screen.findByText('Lifecycle Stage: Ready')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText(/Kitchen lanes are a live view of restaurant orders/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(await screen.findByText('Ready: ORD-1 / TICK-1 at Grill is Ready and the order is ready for handoff to floor service')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
   it('runs operator actions from the actions route', async () => {
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ describe('Kitchen Ops App', () => {
       orderId: 'ORD-1',
       ticketId: 'TICK-1',
       previousState: 'Cooking',
-      currentState: 'Ready',
+      currentState: 'Served',
       transitioned: true,
       error: null
     });
@@ -130,10 +131,14 @@ describe('Kitchen Ops App', () => {
     expect(screen.getAllByText('chef-a').length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
 
     fireEvent.change(screen.getByPlaceholderText('Order Id'), { target: { value: 'ORD-1' } });
+    fireEvent.change(screen.getAllByPlaceholderText('Context Id')[2], { target: { value: 'demo-context' } });
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Transition Work Item' }));
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(transitionKitchenWorkItem).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
-    expect(await screen.findByText('Cooking -> Ready')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(transitionKitchenWorkItem).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ contextId: 'demo-context', orderId: 'ORD-1' })
+    );
+    expect(await screen.findByText('Cooking -> Served (the order is complete and the check can move to payment)')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
   it('shows reauthentication guidance when board loading returns session expired', async () => {
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 8b7643f..9a1eeb0 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ const boardColumns = [
   {
     title: 'State',
     dataIndex: 'state',
-    render: (value: string) => <Tag color={value === 'Ready' ? 'green' : value === 'Cooking' ? 'orange' : 'blue'}>{value}</Tag>
+    render: (value: string) => <Tag color={workflowTagColor(value)}>{value}</Tag>
   },
   { title: 'Priority', dataIndex: 'priority' },
   { title: 'Claimed By', render: (_: unknown, record: KitchenBoardItem) => record.claimedBy ?? 'Unclaimed' },
@@ -326,9 +326,18 @@ function KitchenOpsShell() {
                             <Descriptions.Item label="Context Id">{boardPayload.contextId}</Descriptions.Item>
                             <Descriptions.Item label="Summary">{boardPayload.summary}</Descriptions.Item>
                             <Descriptions.Item label="Stations">{boardPayload.availableStations.join(', ')}</Descriptions.Item>
+                            <Descriptions.Item label="Lifecycle Note">
+                              Kitchen lanes are a live view of restaurant orders moving from accepted work into preparation,
+                              handoff readiness, and final service completion.
+                            </Descriptions.Item>
                           </Descriptions>
                           {boardPayload.lanes.map((lane) => (
-                            <Card key={lane.lane} type="inner" title={`Lane: ${lane.lane}`}>
+                            <Card
+                              key={lane.lane}
+                              type="inner"
+                              title={`Lifecycle Stage: ${lane.lane}`}
+                              extra={<Tag color={workflowTagColor(lane.lane)}>{lane.lane}</Tag>}
+                            >
                               <Table<KitchenBoardItem>
                                 pagination={false}
                                 rowKey={(record) => record.workItemId}
@@ -349,7 +358,10 @@ function KitchenOpsShell() {
                       <List
                         bordered
                         dataSource={boardPayload.lanes.flatMap((lane) =>
-                          lane.items.map((item) => `${lane.lane}: ${item.workItemId} at ${item.station} is ${item.state}`)
+                          lane.items.map(
+                            (item) =>
+                              `${lane.lane}: ${item.orderId} / ${item.ticketId} at ${item.station} is ${item.state} and ${workflowProgressHint(item.state)}`
+                          )
                         )}
                         renderItem={(item) => <List.Item>{item}</List.Item>}
                       />
@@ -407,9 +419,18 @@ function KitchenOpsShell() {
                   <Card title="Transition Work Item State">
                     <Form<TransitionKitchenWorkItemRequest>
                       layout="vertical"
-                      initialValues={{ orderId: 'ORD-1001', ticketId: 'TICK-1001', targetState: 'Ready', updatedBy: 'chef-a' }}
+                      initialValues={{
+                        contextId,
+                        orderId: 'ORD-1001',
+                        ticketId: 'TICK-1001',
+                        targetState: 'Ready',
+                        updatedBy: 'chef-a'
+                      }}
                       onFinish={(values) => void executeTransition(values)}
                     >
+                      <Form.Item name="contextId" label="Context Id" rules={[{ required: true }]}>
+                        <Input placeholder="Context Id" />
+                      </Form.Item>
                       <Form.Item name="orderId" label="Order Id" rules={[{ required: true }]}>
                         <Input placeholder="Order Id" />
                       </Form.Item>
@@ -523,9 +544,14 @@ function ActionDescriptions({ event }: { event: ActionEvent }) {
       <Descriptions bordered size="small" column={1}>
         <Descriptions.Item label="Order Id">{event.response.orderId}</Descriptions.Item>
         <Descriptions.Item label="Ticket Id">{event.response.ticketId}</Descriptions.Item>
-        <Descriptions.Item label="Previous State">{event.response.previousState}</Descriptions.Item>
-        <Descriptions.Item label="Current State">{event.response.currentState}</Descriptions.Item>
+        <Descriptions.Item label="Previous State">
+          <Tag color={workflowTagColor(event.response.previousState)}>{event.response.previousState}</Tag>
+        </Descriptions.Item>
+        <Descriptions.Item label="Current State">
+          <Tag color={workflowTagColor(event.response.currentState)}>{event.response.currentState}</Tag>
+        </Descriptions.Item>
         <Descriptions.Item label="Transitioned">{String(event.response.transitioned)}</Descriptions.Item>
+        <Descriptions.Item label="Next Step">{workflowProgressHint(event.response.currentState)}</Descriptions.Item>
         <Descriptions.Item label="Error">{event.response.error ?? 'None'}</Descriptions.Item>
       </Descriptions>
     );
@@ -556,12 +582,58 @@ function getActionSummary(event: ActionEvent): string {
   }
 
   if (event.kind === 'transition') {
-    return `${event.response.previousState} -> ${event.response.currentState}`;
+    return `${event.response.previousState} -> ${event.response.currentState} (${workflowProgressHint(event.response.currentState)})`;
   }
 
   return event.response.summary;
 }
 
+function workflowTagColor(state: string): string {
+  switch (state.toLowerCase()) {
+    case 'queued':
+    case 'accepted':
+      return 'blue';
+    case 'cooking':
+    case 'preparing':
+      return 'orange';
+    case 'ready':
+    case 'readyforpickup':
+      return 'cyan';
+    case 'served':
+    case 'delivered':
+      return 'green';
+    case 'paid':
+      return 'purple';
+    case 'blocked':
+    case 'failed':
+    case 'canceled':
+      return 'red';
+    default:
+      return 'default';
+  }
+}
+
+function workflowProgressHint(state: string): string {
+  switch (state.toLowerCase()) {
+    case 'queued':
+    case 'accepted':
+      return 'waiting for a kitchen operator to start preparation';
+    case 'cooking':
+    case 'preparing':
+      return 'the kitchen is actively preparing this order';
+    case 'ready':
+    case 'readyforpickup':
+      return 'the order is ready for handoff to floor service';
+    case 'served':
+    case 'delivered':
+      return 'the order is complete and the check can move to payment';
+    case 'paid':
+      return 'the restaurant workflow is fully closed';
+    default:
+      return 'the kitchen workflow is still progressing';
+  }
+}
+
 function providerLabel(provider: IdentityProvider): string {
   if (provider === 0 || provider === '0' || provider === 'InternalJwt') {
     return 'Internal JWT';
diff --git a/src/api/dashboardApi.ts b/src/api/dashboardApi.ts
index c9cc923..1e81b26 100644
--- a/src/api/dashboardApi.ts
+++ b/src/api/dashboardApi.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ export type TransitionKitchenWorkItemRequest = {
   ticketId: string;
   targetState: string;
   updatedBy: string;
+  contextId?: string;
 };
 
 export type TransitionKitchenWorkItemResponse = {