Restaurant and Food Service Managers

The word restaurant comes from the French word restaurer, meaning "to restore." It is believed that the term was first used in its present sense in the 18th century by a soup vendor in Paris, who offered his customers a choice of soups, or restoratives (restaurants). The first restaurants in the United States were patterned after European restaurants and coffeehouses. During the 20th century, many innovations in the restaurant industry led to the development of new kinds of eating establishments, including the cafeteria, Automat, counter-service restaurant, drive-in, and fast food chain. Today's restaurants offer a wide array of foods from all cultures, and many now also cater to specific diets such as vegetarian, vegan, and raw food. Restaurant and food managers have a variety of options in choosing their career path.