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
Last year, Lawrence Longo, the restaurateur behind Irv’s Burgers, Prince Street Pizza and Bar Next Door, offered to let Ray make ice cream drops at the former Hall Pass space on Sunset Boulevard.
—
Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Like a lot of restaurateurs, Frank Bonanno introduced service fees during the pandemic as a way to keep paying employees of his fine-dining restaurants Mizuna, Luca and Osteria Marco, who were earning less while social distancing rules were in effect.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Ornella The trio behind Luca (composed of actor Theo James, restaurateur Ed Templeton and Head Chef Naz Hassan) has recently opened Ornella.
—Rachel Dube, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Lewis’s pan-frying method — with lard and other pork for flavor — has been cited in versions of her recipe by the restaurateur and TV personality Andrew Zimmern, the New York Times and America’s Test Kitchen, None of them, however, insist on using seasonal chicken.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for restaurateur
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Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Like a lot of restaurateurs, Frank Bonanno introduced service fees during the pandemic as a way to keep paying employees of his fine-dining restaurants Mizuna, Luca and Osteria Marco, who were earning less while social distancing rules were in effect.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Ornella The trio behind Luca (composed of actor Theo James, restaurateur Ed Templeton and Head Chef Naz Hassan) has recently opened Ornella.
—Rachel Dube, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Lewis’s pan-frying method — with lard and other pork for flavor — has been cited in versions of her recipe by the restaurateur and TV personality Andrew Zimmern, the New York Times and America’s Test Kitchen, None of them, however, insist on using seasonal chicken.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for restaurateur
Cite this Entry
“Restaurateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restaurateur. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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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