Paying up front for food is OK for chain fast food...

Paying up front for food is OK for chain fast food joints, but not for restaurants like this. It screams "lack of confidence".
Food was OK (breakfast), portions were on the small side, including about a teaspoon of baked beans in the dreaded "ramekin". Service was slow and sparse and our orders got totally mixed up. Lack of staff meant we had to scrape food from one plate to another, before it got cold, plus return to the bar to ask that cutlery be made available (the wooden box on the bar was empty).

This is all pretty easy to address: Add another server to the team, introduce table service (!), have the option of larger portions, and most importantly switch to payment after consumption. The latter portrays more confidence in your product and grants your servers the opportunity to earn tips.

I'm sure we will return, and hopefully see some improvement.