Read it twice, and all three notes land.
1. The repeated opening line is fixed in the build now on itch: the same complaint can't come back back-to-back inside one night, so orders one and two won't echo any more. Your read was on the previous build.
2. The in-embed crop is real. The recipe book is the thing you need on every order, and at the jam's embed height it sits below the fold while the clock runs. Book beside the cauldron on wide screens is the fix, and it's mine to make.
3. Show the last unserved order's answer on the score screen: taking it. A lost night should still teach something.
You were right not to judge the timer, screenshots cost you seconds a hand doesn't. Thanks for reading it as a puzzle instead of a vibe. Smokestack write-up is coming to your page.