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
The restaurant is run day to day by Eric Greenspan, the chef most recently behind a chain of ghost kitchens founded by the YouTuber MrBeast, and Bill Chait, a restaurateur most famously involved with the beloved California bakery chain Tartine.
—
Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
In Black Rabbit, Bateman plays Vince, the addiction-addled brother of Jude Law’s restaurateur, Jake.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2025
In May, The Denver Post reported that restaurateur Khagendra Gurung, who owns Himchuli Indian next door, as well as Mazevo Mediterranean Eatery and others, had taken over in 2024 and was renovating the space and planning to recreate the same pizza recipes.
—The Know, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 2025
The regional campaign follows the launch of Levi’s global Icons campaign featuring five-time Grammy Award nominee country-pop artist Shaboozey, and chef, restaurateur and television star Matty Matheson.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 19 Sep. 2025
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Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2025
In Black Rabbit, Bateman plays Vince, the addiction-addled brother of Jude Law’s restaurateur, Jake.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2025
In May, The Denver Post reported that restaurateur Khagendra Gurung, who owns Himchuli Indian next door, as well as Mazevo Mediterranean Eatery and others, had taken over in 2024 and was renovating the space and planning to recreate the same pizza recipes.
—The Know, Denver Post, 19 Sep. 2025
The regional campaign follows the launch of Levi’s global Icons campaign featuring five-time Grammy Award nominee country-pop artist Shaboozey, and chef, restaurateur and television star Matty Matheson.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 19 Sep. 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 24 Sep. 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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