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
Prominent restaurateur Norman Bolden’s vision for Norman’s Bistro on the Lake is pivotal to this transformation.
—
Melody Winston, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Owned by a leader in the Knoxville food scene who supports budding restaurateurs, A Dopo is a must-try for anyone who thinks their favorite pizza can’t be topped.
—USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
For those of us who have loved the restaurant since restaurateur Brad Johnson and original chef Govind Armstrong opened Post & Beam in 2011, the loss is a blow.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2025
It is thought to have been invented in the 1960s by Swiss restaurateur Konrad Egli at Chalet Suisse in New York City.
—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2025
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Melody Winston, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
Owned by a leader in the Knoxville food scene who supports budding restaurateurs, A Dopo is a must-try for anyone who thinks their favorite pizza can’t be topped.
—USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
For those of us who have loved the restaurant since restaurateur Brad Johnson and original chef Govind Armstrong opened Post & Beam in 2011, the loss is a blow.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2025
It is thought to have been invented in the 1960s by Swiss restaurateur Konrad Egli at Chalet Suisse in New York City.
—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restaurateur
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Cite this Entry
“Restaurateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restaurateur. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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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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