restaurateur
noun
res·tau·ra·teur
ˌre-stə-rə-ˈtər 
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
Norton’s journey to becoming a restaurateur wasn’t a straight line.
—
Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Mar. 2025
Bastianich, a longtime public television cooking show star, cookbook author and restaurateur, has always celebrated the glories of Italian American cuisine, often dishes that immigrants adapted to use local ingredients.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
Like many new restaurateurs heading into the market, Grant isn’t worried about the high volume of new restaurants opening in the city.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025
At Diane’s Place, which opened last year, pastry chef–turned–restaurateur Diane Moua blends French techniques with the flavors of her Hmong heritage.
—AFAR Media, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restaurateur
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Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Mar. 2025
Bastianich, a longtime public television cooking show star, cookbook author and restaurateur, has always celebrated the glories of Italian American cuisine, often dishes that immigrants adapted to use local ingredients.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025
Like many new restaurateurs heading into the market, Grant isn’t worried about the high volume of new restaurants opening in the city.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2025
At Diane’s Place, which opened last year, pastry chef–turned–restaurateur Diane Moua blends French techniques with the flavors of her Hmong heritage.
—AFAR Media, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restaurateur
Articles Related to restaurateur
Cite this Entry
“Restaurateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restaurateur. Accessed 24 Mar. 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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