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

Kimbal Musk is an entrepreneur, restaurateur and philanthropist known for his work in sustainable food and urban farming. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025

Not even one of Salt Lake City's worst blazes could deter restaurateurs Brooks and David Kirchheimer from opening Hearth and Hill, their fourth restaurant. —Kim Bojórquez, Axios, 7 Apr. 2025

The event is a win-win for restaurateurs and consumers. —Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

A couple of weeks ago, Manchester’s most famous restaurateur offered Reiser free dinner for a year, but didn’t include specifics. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French restaurateur, from Late Latin restaurator restorer, from Latin restaurare

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