After a long journey, our fruit and vegetables are finally nicely presented on a plate and served in a restaurant. But did you know that the word ‘Restaurant’ has more meaning than you think at first? Nowadays, restaurants can no longer be ignored in the villages and cities and they are (almost) affordable for everyone. I researched this word further and came to surprising insights. It has an interesting history and has had multiple meanings. It’s fun for everyone to tell on a birthday ????, so read on quickly to find out!

Where does restaurant come from?

Let’s zoom in on the word ‘restaurant’. We often talk about restaurants with each other, but few of us will think about how this is originated. Did restaurants exist in the past? How did the word ‘restaurant’ come up? And what is the reason that this name was given?

The name ‘restaurant’ comes from the French word ‘restorer’ which means ‘to restore’. In the 18th century, establishments, also known as ‘Restaurateurs’, opened their doors to revitalize tired or sick travelers with a medicinal meat broth. The broths were given the name ‘restaurant’ or ‘soupe restaurante’: an invigorating soup prepared in a clean kettle. It was only after decades that the word restaurant developed to what it is now.
The first restaurant, founded in 1765, was called the ‘Restaurant Boulanger’ and was based in Paris. It was a beautifully decorated restaurant and visitors had a choice of several dishes.

What are the differences between then and now?

There is a restaurant on almost every street corner, especially in the cities. The difference with the past and a few years ago is huge, thinking of; the supply, competition and changing eating habits of the public.

The range of restaurants has become a lot larger if you compare this with before, in addition, prosperity has increased, so it has become quite common for an average citizen to visit a restaurant. The target audience has therefore become more various. Yet the competition is fierce. Many restaurants are competitors of each other, but can be divided into different groups. Think of the expensive, large chains that compete with each other, but three different snack bars in the same village often also target the same target group, making them competitors.

As consumer needs change, new concepts have emerged. Not everyone wants to eat pizza or fries anymore, but they are aware of what they eat and adopt a certain healthy lifestyle. As a result, fruit and vegetables are increasingly becoming an important part of the menu. There are many restaurants that are responding to this and have managed to distinguish themselves very successfully. Many restaurants in the cities have also changed to healthy food. There are many more restaurants that offer healthy food such as smooties and salads.

A cool trend to see, as far as we’re concerned. BE Fresh delivers to various restaurants worldwide and it is always a joy to see our products passing by like a piece of art on a plate.

Types of restaurants

Actually, restaurant is a collective name and many different variants does exist. They are called different business types within gastronomy. But what I quickly think of is, for example, a Chinese/Italian restaurant, a Grand-Café, Bistro, Fast food chains, etc. But of course there are more chains that can be called a restaurant;

  • Bistro
  • Grand-Café
  • Brasserie
  • Eatery 
  • Fast food
  • Fast casual
  • Ethnic
  • Trattoria
  • Traiteur
  • Tasting room
  • Gastrobar
  • Sushi en tapas
  • All you can eat

And? No lie, right? From ‘Restaurator’ for sick travelers to many types of restaurant concepts nowadays, while it is the most normal thing in the world to visit a restaurant regularly. Try something new, because the choice is huge!

Sources

  • Wikipedia 
  • Stringfixer 
  • Culy