Do You Spell Restaurateur?

A person who owns and manages a restaurant is called a restaurateur. ... However, when it comes to "restaurant" and "restaurateur," "restaurateur" is actually the older of the two.

Why is it restaurateur and not restauranteur?

Eventually, a "restaurant" could be any place to eat. "Restaurateur" comes into English from French at the end of the 18th century. It referred to a person who owns and manages a restaurant, except that a "restaurateur" could also refer to the restaurant itself.

What is the correct spelling of restaurateur?

The word restaurateur is simply French for a person who owns or runs a restaurant. The feminine form of the French noun is restauratrice. A less common variant spelling restauranteur is formed from the "more familiar" term restaurant with the French suffix -eur borrowed from restaurateur.

Robert Thorne

Robert Thorne

Automotive & Future Transportation Editor

Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.