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
Juan Ibarra stands outside his fruit and vegetable outlet in Los Angeles’ vast fresh produce market, the place in the city center where Hispanic restaurateurs, street vendors, and taco truck operators buy supplies every day.
—
Tim Reid, Christian Science Monitor, 17 June 2025
Chefs, restaurateurs and food media regularly praised America’s diversity of flavor, widely crediting immigrants.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
Seven of fifteen respondents—who included a political scientist, a conservative think-tank president, a party strategist, and the restaurateur Danny Meyer—said that Lander was the best candidate in the field; no other candidate got more than two respondents to back them.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
There have been many successful Top Chef winners throughout the show's history, with several becoming respected restaurateurs in the food scene after their time on the series.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for restaurateur
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Tim Reid, Christian Science Monitor, 17 June 2025
Chefs, restaurateurs and food media regularly praised America’s diversity of flavor, widely crediting immigrants.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
Seven of fifteen respondents—who included a political scientist, a conservative think-tank president, a party strategist, and the restaurateur Danny Meyer—said that Lander was the best candidate in the field; no other candidate got more than two respondents to back them.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
There have been many successful Top Chef winners throughout the show's history, with several becoming respected restaurateurs in the food scene after their time on the series.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 13 June 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 1 Jul. 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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