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

The truck was donated by one of the students’ families, who are restaurateurs. —Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 18 Feb. 2026

Several restaurateurs told the city that during pandemic lockdowns, drive-through business was the only thing that kept them afloat. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 17 Feb. 2026

Within that broader landscape, the vibrance of Black wine culture in Chicago is palpable, explains Cuff, with the city’s rapidly expanding ecosystem of Black sommeliers, educators, retailers and restaurateurs reflecting not only heightened demand but firmer infrastructure too. —Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026

But in an industry where diners rarely question high prices of French haute cuisine or Japanese omakase, Chinese restaurateurs often contend with resistance in getting customers to pay fine-dining tabs. —Terry Tang, Fortune, 16 Feb. 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