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.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Renderings show an 11,000 square-foot ground-floor restaurant by Kevin Grangier, the restaurateur behind The Village Anchor, Le Moo and Grassa Gramma. 
Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 24 Aug. 2022 Daniel Boulud is a culinary master with 14 restaurants worldwide, 10 books, two Michelin stars and countless awards, including best restaurateur in the world by Les Grandes Tables du Monde in 2021. Janelle Davis, CNN, 30 May 2022 The four-part docuseries follows the real story of Sarma Melngailis, the restaurateur behind New York's popular vegan hot spot Raw Food and Wine, which was frequented in its heyday by celebrities like Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 17 Feb. 2022 Aside from his success in the kitchen Chef G. Garvin is a restaurateur and owner of LowCountry Restaurant in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Concourse A and LowCountry Steak . Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2021 The Village Butcher is the brainchild of restaurateur Carl Quagliata and chef Zach Ladner. Brenda Cain And Yadi Rodriguez - Cleveland.com, cleveland, 23 Aug. 2022 One Ukrainian restaurateur told the New Voice that McDonald’s decision to reopen was as much a political decision as a business one. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2022 In the Houston episode in season one, Pribilski visits Gatlin's BBQ, Korea Garden and Feges BBQ, guided by local restaurateur Chris Shepherd. Emma Balter, Chron, 9 Aug. 2022 It was developed by billionaire Edmond Safra and private equity investor-turned-restaurateur Juan Santa Cruz in an effort to fill the gap that nearly extinct offices have left for the world’s richest workers. Jane Thier, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 See More
Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 24 Aug. 2022 Daniel Boulud is a culinary master with 14 restaurants worldwide, 10 books, two Michelin stars and countless awards, including best restaurateur in the world by Les Grandes Tables du Monde in 2021. Janelle Davis, CNN, 30 May 2022 The four-part docuseries follows the real story of Sarma Melngailis, the restaurateur behind New York's popular vegan hot spot Raw Food and Wine, which was frequented in its heyday by celebrities like Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 17 Feb. 2022 Aside from his success in the kitchen Chef G. Garvin is a restaurateur and owner of LowCountry Restaurant in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Concourse A and LowCountry Steak . Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2021 The Village Butcher is the brainchild of restaurateur Carl Quagliata and chef Zach Ladner. Brenda Cain And Yadi Rodriguez - Cleveland.com, cleveland, 23 Aug. 2022 One Ukrainian restaurateur told the New Voice that McDonald’s decision to reopen was as much a political decision as a business one. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2022 In the Houston episode in season one, Pribilski visits Gatlin's BBQ, Korea Garden and Feges BBQ, guided by local restaurateur Chris Shepherd. Emma Balter, Chron, 9 Aug. 2022 It was developed by billionaire Edmond Safra and private equity investor-turned-restaurateur Juan Santa Cruz in an effort to fill the gap that nearly extinct offices have left for the world’s richest workers. Jane Thier, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
French restaurateur, from Late Latin restaurator restorer, from Latin restaurare
First Known Use
1796, in the meaning defined above