The Middle Ages are believed to have been the precursors to the modern restaurant. People established inns and taverns on roadsides that offered food and shelter to travelers. Unlike the norm of today, guests at the inns and taverns at the time had no choice but to accept a single dish made at the discretion of the chef. Also in China, ancient proofs of restaurants are found under the Song dynasty (960-1279). Stories are told about some establishments in the Empire’s capital city that served customers with a range of à la carte dishes.

According to an often-repeated account, the history of restaurants in its modern sense was made in Paris, France where Monsieur Boulanger, a soup vendor, opened his business in 1765. The sign above his door advertised ‘restaurant’, referring to restorative broths. The word restaurant comes from the Latin 'restaurare,' meaning "to renew. His restaurant served reinvigorating meat broths that people ate to refortify their bodies. In the latter half of the 18th century, Paris became more famous because of Boulanger’s restaurant.

However, Boulanger’s use of ‘restaurant’ was not the first appearance of the word. The Oxford English Dictionary's Historical Thesaurus lists six words for a "restaurant" between the mid-15th century and the time of Boulanger's Broths. They are; eating house, victualling-house, cook's shop, treating-house, suttling house (especially for soldiers), and chop shop (www.merriam-webster.com).

Antoine Beauvilliers founded the first luxury restaurant, La Grande Taverne de Londres also in Paris in 1782. Beauvilliers was a leading culinary writer and gastronomic authority. He is the writer of L’Art du cuisinier (1814), a cookbook that became a standard work on French culinary art. He became famous as an accomplished restaurateur. Whiles Boulanger's restaurant was a modest establishment, Beauvilliers’ establishment targeted rich diners.

Americans have also made an important contribution to the development of restaurants. The cafeteria which originated in San Francisco during the 1849 gold rush played a major role. This establishment provides self-service and offers a wide variety of foods displayed on counters. Diners have the option of paying for each food item or paying for the entire meal at the end of the line.

Another notable contribution is the introduction of quick-eating places in the United States that include fast-food restaurants, lunch counters, and the drugstore counter. These restaurants provide guests with a limited quick-order menu at the counter. Other options are the drive-in, “drive-thru,” or drive-up restaurants where diners are served in their automobiles.

Restaurants are undoubtedly an important institution in society. They help people to procure food anywhere, anytime. They also play an integral role in the hospitality industry, generating income for both owners and governments.

REFERENCE

Information from https://www.alimentarium.org/en/fact-sheet/origins-restaurant, https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-history-of-restaurant, and https://www.britannica.com/topic/restaurant was used in this story

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