restaurateur

noun

res·​tau·​ra·​teur ˌre-stə-rə-ˈtər How to pronounce restaurateur (audio)
variants or less commonly restauranteur
: the operator or proprietor of a restaurant

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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 Flamingo Room by Tasha’s Flamingo Room by tashas Founded by South African restaurateur Natasha Sideris, Flamingo Room by tashas is a jewel in Jumeirah Al Naseem’s fine-dining crown. Claudia De Brito, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Nov. 2023 In 2022, an artist and her restaurateur husband hired Gru.a to renovate a 3,700-square-foot apartment in the wealthy neighborhood of Gávea. Michael Snyder Pedro Kok, New York Times, 22 Nov. 2023 This season brings an answer: innovative chef and restaurateur Sohla El-Waylly. Tucker Shaw, WSJ, 16 Nov. 2023 The 67-story Fontainebleau Las Vegas will open in December with 3,700 rooms and a ton of buzzy restaurants, including a Casa Dragones Tasting Room and a Chinese noodle den from the restaurateur behind Wagamama and Hakkasan. Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023 One such restaurateur was Joe Casamento, who founded his namesake eatery in 1919. Cameron Quincy Todd, Saveur, 15 Nov. 2023 Star chef Nobu Matsuhisa and celebrity restaurateur Robert De Niro didn’t limit their involvement to the resort’s restaurant. Ann Abel, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 The acclaimed pastry chef and restaurateur Sarabeth Levine ships her famous cookies nationwide. Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023 Art Smith, a James Beard winner, award-winning cookbook author and a restaurateur who was Oprah’s personal chef, has type 2 diabetes and has battled with weight all his life. Laura Reiley, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'restaurateur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French restaurateur, from Late Latin restaurator restorer, from Latin restaurare

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of restaurateur was in 1796

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Dictionary Entries Near restaurateur

Cite this Entry

“Restaurateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restaurateur. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

restaurateur

noun
res·​tau·​ra·​teur ˌres-tə-rə-ˈtər How to pronounce restaurateur (audio)
variants also restauranteur
: a person who owns or runs a restaurant
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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