restaurateur
noun
res·tau·ra·teur
ˌre-stə-rə-ˈtər 
variants
or less commonly restauranteur
: 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
Cote’s West Coast venue, which follows locations in New York City and Miami, is something of a homecoming for the restaurateur, who started his culinary career while a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
—
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2025
When Balistreri's Bluemound Inn posted the news on Facebook, customers and former employees replied to that posting with fond memories and praise for the restaurateur's warmth and generosity.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Serving a frenzied crowd of basketball fans, many of whom may have come expecting nachos and Miller Lite tallboys, poses a stark change of pace for restaurateurs like Bhavna Thapar and chef Neeti Chaudhri, who co-own The Little India in SoBro.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 15 Oct. 2025
The American restaurateur, who also owns and operates the venerated Savannah restaurant the Grey, alongside chef Mashama Bailey, was referring to the two-year legal battle to install a ventilation system.
—Alexander Lobrano, Air Mail, 11 Oct. 2025
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Tori Latham, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2025
When Balistreri's Bluemound Inn posted the news on Facebook, customers and former employees replied to that posting with fond memories and praise for the restaurateur's warmth and generosity.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Serving a frenzied crowd of basketball fans, many of whom may have come expecting nachos and Miller Lite tallboys, poses a stark change of pace for restaurateurs like Bhavna Thapar and chef Neeti Chaudhri, who co-own The Little India in SoBro.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 15 Oct. 2025
The American restaurateur, who also owns and operates the venerated Savannah restaurant the Grey, alongside chef Mashama Bailey, was referring to the two-year legal battle to install a ventilation system.
—Alexander Lobrano, Air Mail, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restaurateur
Cite this Entry
“Restaurateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restaurateur. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
restaurateur
noun
res·tau·ra·teur
ˌres-tə-rə-ˈtər
variants
also restauranteur
: a person who owns or runs a restaurant
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