TRANSITION TO THE NEURONUTRITION CONCEPT AS A KEY CONDITION FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE REGIONAL POPULATION

The article examines the concept of a "neuro-menu", a food service format in which the customer chooses not a dish but the psychophysiological state they want to reach: lower anxiety, recover after physical exertion, regain focus or fall asleep easily. The starting point is a simple observation. A tired or overloaded person opens a delivery app, faces hundreds of near-identical items and ends up with extra cognitive load, the effect Barry Schwartz called the paradox of choice. In Russia, the format is practically absent. The scientific basis of the concept draws on evidence about the bidirectional gut–brain axis, research in nutritional psychiatry, and data on dietary precursors of key neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, GABA, acetylcholine), as well as on the effects of magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, L-theanine, curcumin and natural melatonin. On this foundation the author proposes a neurochemical matrix of six target states and a two-tier product model, in which a fast-acting drink is paired with a base dish of cumulative effect, strengthening the perceived result for the customer while raising the average order value. The business section sets out a launch from scratch: subletting an idle restaurant kitchen under a dark kitchen model, separate roles for the website and a proprietary app, a zoned delivery system that favours in-house couriers at the start, and targeted local marketing through gyms, yoga studios and coworking spaces. Corporate well-being is treated as a source of guaranteed revenue and a hedge against swings in consumer demand. The base-case financial model yields about 1 million roubles in monthly revenue, a net margin of roughly 24% and payback on start-up investment within 12–18 months. Customer loyalty is explained through Charles Duhigg's habit loop: people return not for the taste but for a repeatable result. The article is intended for entrepreneurs, restaurateurs and foodtech start-ups looking for a resilient model after the wave of Moscow restaurant closures in 2025.