IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTISENSORY APPROACHES IN RESTAURANTS IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The study critically examines the limitations of the traditional restaurant service model, which is primarily focused on food quality and standardized service delivery. It argues for the necessity of adopting a multisensory and personalized approach to enhance the overall gastronomic guest experience and to respond to the increasing complexity of consumer expectations in the modern hospitality environment. The relevance of the research is driven by the transformation of the foodservice industry under the influence of digital technologies, intensified competition, and the growing demand for emotionally engaging and experience-oriented service formats. Particular attention is given to neurogastronomy as an interdisciplinary field that explains how sensory stimuli influence taste perception and shape consumers’ affective and behavioral responses. The study further systematizes key theoretical perspectives on sensory marketing and the servicescape framework as essential determinants of competitiveness in the foodservice industry, emphasizing their role in structuring customer experience through environmental, cognitive, and emotional dimensions. Methodologically, the study applies a qualitative analytical approach based on the synthesis of theoretical concepts and comparative interpretation of selected international and Ukrainian case studies from Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa. This enables the identification of practical patterns of multisensory design implementation and the assessment of digital innovation integration in restaurant operations under real market conditions. The findings demonstrate that the combination of visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and digital stimuli creates a coherent experiential environment that strengthens customer engagement and improves perceived service quality. Based on the analysis, the research identifies effective patterns for integrating multisensory design and digital innovation into restaurant operations, taking into account local gastronomic and cultural specificities. It is shown that structured sensory environments supported by data-driven personalization tools significantly enhance emotional satisfaction, increase customer retention, and improve behavioral loyalty indicators. An integrated conceptual model of restaurant experience formation is proposed to support strategic development and innovation in foodservice enterprises in Ukraine. The model combines sensory design principles, neurocognitive mechanisms, spatial environmental factors, and digital personalization systems into a unified framework for managing guest experience. The practical value of the study lies in its applicability for restaurant managers and hospitality developers seeking to redesign service environments, optimize customer interaction processes, and increase competitiveness through experience-based differentiation strategies. The originality of the study lies in the synthesis of neurogastronomy, sensory marketing, servicescape theory, and digital personalization into a unified conceptual framework for multisensory restaurant experience design, offering a comprehensive approach to modern hospitality transformation and sustainable service innovation.