Up until 1765, diners were offered only what innkeepers chose to serve.
But then, a Paris chef named Boulanger began offering a choice of nourishing soups to passersby and on a board hanging over the door he painted the word “Restaurant,” meaning “to restore.”
Boulanger was so successful that throughout the world dining rooms still display his original sign, “Restaurant,” a promise to restore energy.
The word restaurant is still used today for an establishment where meals are served to customers.