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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See All Example Sentences for restaurateur

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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Cite this Entry

“Restaurateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restaurateur. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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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