Thematic calendar as a tool for cultural programming of restaurant service

Abstract

The article examines the restaurant thematic calendar as an instrument of cultural programming of the service environment in the context of the experience economy and the transformation of consumer behavior. The relevance of the study is determined by the shift in restaurant service from functional characteristics toward the creation of an integrated, emotionally and culturally enriched consumer and brand experience, as well as by the insufficient development of systemic approaches to organizing restaurant event activities over time. The purpose of the study is to provide a theoretical justification and conceptual development of an authorial model of a restaurant thematic calendar aimed at creating a memorable and reproducible service experience. The methodological framework is based on service studies and experience economy concepts, as well as a cultural approach to interpreting restaurant service as a form of cultural practice. The research employs methods of analysis, synthesis, systemic and comparative analysis, and modeling. The study demonstrates that thematization of restaurant service based on cultural dominants (visual arts, music, literature, and wine culture) makes it possible to structure event activities, enhance the emotional and cognitive engagement of visitors, and increase the communicative potential of the service space. The proposed thematic calendar model ensures the integration of gastronomic, event-­based, and multisensory practices into a unified, manageable system for shaping consumer experience. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the conceptualization of the restaurant thematic calendar as a tool for cultural programming of the service environment and in the development of an authorial model that integrates thematization, multisensory design, and eventfulness into a logically structured temporal framework. The practical significance of the research is associated with the possibility of applying the results in restaurant management, event program development, and brand identity formation.