History of Restaurant: A Journey from Eating Plate to Eating Place

According to a 2022 survey, 29% of Americans eat out at restaurants once or twice a week. The survey also showed that most diners (42%) spend an average of $11-$20 on dining out in the US. However, 8% of them pay $50 or more for their dining out journey. Statista Research Department conducts both of these surveys.

Dining-out-stats

Since restaurants are now a part of American lives, let’s examine what they are and how they originated. In this article, we will explore a restaurant’s history, including its origins and current state. Moreover, we will discuss how restaurants evolve in different regions of the world.

Origin of Restaurant

Many people across the world have their dine-outs and on-the-go meals from ancient times. They often took a break and had their meals while on their journey or took a quick meal or snack from the vendors. But the first restaurant was first established in the 18th century in 1753.

However, the term “Restaurant” was first used in France (Paris) in the 18th century when Boulanger established the first food establishment. The sign on the establishment’s door read “restoratives, or restaurants,” which referred to the soup and broths available. Hence, the name restaurant originated and is now denoted in many modern languages, e.g., English, French, Danish, Norwegian, and many others.

the-worlds-first-restaurant-in-paris-(History-of-Restaurant)

This was a modest establishment that was found in the Rue du Louvre. Inspired by such an establishment, a new luxury restaurant named La Grande Taverne de Londres was founded in Paris in 1782.  The owner was the culinary writer Antoine Beauvilliers, who later wrote L’Art du Cuisinier in 1814.

History of Restaurant across Regions

History of French Restaurant

The number of restaurants in Paris continued to increase during the 19th century. During the Napoleonic Era, the tree-lined area adjacent to the Louvre became the site of the finest restaurants of that time. The famous Véry’s menu includes 15 beef entrées, 24 fish dishes, 12 soups, 20 mutton entrées, and several sides. This restaurant was included in Le Grand Véfour in 1869 and is still functional.

With the development of automobiles, urbanization, and industrialization, a number of provincial restaurants were established. Fernand Point founded the famous Restaurant de la Pyramide in the 20th century. Today, French restaurants fall into three categories: bistro (simple and inexpensive), medium-priced restaurants, and elegant grand restaurants.

History of American Restaurants

The first dining restaurant in the US was established in New York during the 19th century. The US Cafeteria originated in San Francisco during the 1849 Gold Rush. Then came Fast Food restaurants, which usually operate in chains or franchise-based models. These include White Castle (1921), McDonald’s (1955), KFC (1956), Pizza Hut (1958), and Cookout (1989).

The fast food restaurant menus mostly include Chicken, Hamburgers, Sandwiches, Hot Dogs, Cheeseburgers, Sides, Milkshakes, and Drinks. However, in the 21st century, restaurants have become more sensitive towards food allergies and gluten allergies and have begun providing their allergen menus to customers.

History of Restaurants in Europe

Many restaurants exist in European countries, including Italy, Austria, Hungary, and the Netherlands. In Italy, the first coffee shop, the Botteghe, was established in the 16th century. Nowadays, most trattories serve local specialties. Osterie are informal Italian restaurants that offer home-style cooking.

While ‘buca’ are the small restaurants in Florence that serve whatever food that the host desires on a particular day. Likewise, in Austria, a famous highway restaurant named ‘Csárda’ usually serves meat and fish stews. It is also functional in other countries but mostly operates across the country. In the Netherlands, ‘Broodjeswinkels’ served seafood, sandwiches, and different dishes from the huge table.

Conclusion

Dining out at restaurants is now a part of the daily lives of many individuals across the world. In this article, we discuss the history of restaurants, starting with their organization in the 18th century. We then discuss how restaurants were established in France and other countries and how they have developed throughout the modern world.

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