restaurateur

noun

res·​tau·​ra·​teur ˌre-stə-rə-ˈtər 

variants or less commonly restauranteur

ˌre-stə-ˌrän-ˈtər 

: the operator or proprietor of a restaurant

Did you know?

Restaurateur Has French Roots

Restaurateur and restaurant are French words from Latin restaurare, meaning "to restore." Of the two words, restaurant is more common—a fact that may have influenced the development of the variant spelling restauranteur for restaurateur. Some people consider restauranteur to be an error, but it is still on the menu as an acceptable word choice.

Examples of restaurateur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It’s trained future restaurateurs. —Timothy Depeugh, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026

Molinari explained how this increased national and now international spotlight is a huge motivator for restaurateurs across Metro Detroit. —Jeffrey Popovich, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026

And the contemporary restaurant landscape brings its own challenges — ask any nascent restaurateur tempted by the siren song of Instagram walls or food trends with the lifespan of a mayfly — including the weight of online reviews. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026

The collective of chefs, food journalists and restaurateurs convened by Guez is now meeting regularly throughout the year to discuss the state of the industry. —Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "restorer, proprietor of a restaurant," going back to Middle French, "restorer," borrowed from Latin restaurātor, from restaurāre "to return to its former condition, restore" + -tor, agent suffix

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for restaurateur

• entrepreneur
• amateur
• connoisseur
• kieselguhr
• monseigneur
• procureur
• retransfer
• saboteur
• silencer
• voyageur
• birr
• blur

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Kids Definition

restaurateur

noun

res·​tau·​ra·​teur ˌres-tə-rə-ˈtər 

variants also restauranteur

-ˌrän- 

: a person who owns or runs a restaurant