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 restaurant, which opened in May, is a co-production between the restaurateur Claire DuBois and the chef Sherry Cardoso. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Getting restaurateurs to now move back into the roadbeds and sidewalks will not be as simple. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026

The bill will also allow restaurants to weatherproof and winterize their sheds and require restaurateurs to keep them from becoming trash- and pest-filled shanties. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 13 Aug. 2026

The raid stemmed from accusations against Kari Newell, a local restaurateur. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 13 Aug. 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