Definition of RESTAURATEUR

Restaurateur Has French Roots

Restaurateur and restaurant were borrowed directly from related French words, and both ultimately derive from the Latin word restaurare ("to restore"). Restaurateur is the older of the two; our earliest evidence dates it to 1793. Restaurant is only slightly newer; it dates to 1806. Of the two words, restaurant is of course significantly more common—a fact that may have influenced the development of the variant spelling restauranteur for restaurateur. Restauranteur first appeared a mere 44 years after restaurateur, but it is considered by many to be an error. It is, however, a standard variant, albeit one that continues to be used less frequently than restaurateur.

Examples of restaurateur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bethany Jean Clement asked the academy of Seattle chefs and restaurateurs about excellence in culinary cinematic achievement. — Bethany Jean Clement, The Seattle Times, "In honor of the Oscars, we asked Seattle chefs to name their picks for all-time Best Food Film," 20 Feb. 2019 Just two hours driving distance from New York, the 30-room luxury hotel is a member of the renowned Relais & Châteaux association of the world’s finest hoteliers, chefs, and restaurateurs. — Ariel Okin, Vogue, "8 Romantic Winter Weekend Getaways From New York City," 29 Dec. 2018 The increase was vociferously opposed by local restaurateurs. — Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post, "Ousted Alexandria lawmakers had been stung by Metro entrance, meal-tax issues," 13 June 2018 Incorporated into the property are a restaurant and bar—both overseen, as at the other NoMads, by chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara—and the first-ever NoMad Casino, housed beneath a Tiffany-glass ceiling. — Marley Marius, Vogue, "A Guide to Low-Key (But Still Luxe) Las Vegas," 22 Oct. 2018 Opening today, the 293-room hotel, located within Park MGM, is home to an eponymous restaurant and bar, helmed by Swiss super-chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara. — Samantha Swenson, ELLE Decor, "There's a Newcomer to The Strip: the NoMad Las Vegas," 12 Oct. 2018 Oh, and Momofuku restaurateur David Chang made her a churro ice cream sandwich. — Brooke Hauser, Marie Claire, "Female Leaders, All From Families of Immigrants, Share Their Stories," 22 Aug. 2018 In May, restaurateur George Abou-Daoud closed his Hollywood restaurant Farida, which employed about 20 workers and was frequented by middle- and upper-middle class diners who paid an average of $13 for a dish. — Andrew Khouri, latimes.com, "Latest minimum wage hike comes as some employers launch bidding wars for scarce workers," 1 July 2018 Blacklisting is not something restaurateurs take lightly. — Mari Uyehara, GQ, "Blacklist Every Last One of Them," 26 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'restaurateur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.