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
Andre Agassi, a three-time Cincinnati Open champion and a 1996 Olympic gold medalist, stopped at The Precinct by Jeff Ruby on Saturday, Aug. 2, according to a tweet/X post from the local restaurateur.
—
Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Aug. 2025
Now chef and restaurateur Jody Tobin has resuscitated the eatery, keeping the menu largely the same.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 31 July 2025
In fact, chefs and restaurateurs from around Miami-Dade County all agree on one thing — the summer of 2025 is the toughest in recent memory.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 31 July 2025
This is likely because Musk and his team, who must have realized that running a successful high-traffic hospitality operation can be more difficult than even rocket science, had the good sense of hiring a capable local restaurateur in Bill Chait.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2025
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Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Aug. 2025
Now chef and restaurateur Jody Tobin has resuscitated the eatery, keeping the menu largely the same.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 31 July 2025
In fact, chefs and restaurateurs from around Miami-Dade County all agree on one thing — the summer of 2025 is the toughest in recent memory.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 31 July 2025
This is likely because Musk and his team, who must have realized that running a successful high-traffic hospitality operation can be more difficult than even rocket science, had the good sense of hiring a capable local restaurateur in Bill Chait.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 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 22 Aug. 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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