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Eateries have been around since ancient times, however, the modern timeline of restaurants emerged in 18th century France, with the first establishment serving individual dishes à la carte opening in Paris in 1765.
From there, the restaurant industry spread globally, evolving to encompass a wide variety of cuisines, dining styles, and service models, with significant developments including the rise of fast food in the mid-20th century and the farm-to-table movement in recent decades.
From ancient public eateries and medieval merchant-focused establishments to the birth of modern restaurants in 18th century Paris and the rise of fine dining in 19th century America, this era marks the evolution of dining out from basic sustenance to a refined social experience.
512 BC: First recorded public eating establishment in Ancient Egypt.
79 AD: Remains of thermopolia (fast-food counters) found in Pompeii.
1100s-1200s: Song dynasty China sees rise of restaurants catering to merchants.
1582: Café La Bottega del Caffè opens in Venice, Italy.
1686: Café Procope opens in Paris, considered one of the world's oldest operating restaurants.
1765: Boulanger opens what is often considered the first modern restaurant in Paris.
1782: La Grande Taverne de Londres opens in Paris, pioneering luxury dining.
1797: Fraunces Tavern established in New York City.
1803: Delmonico's opens in New York City, America's first fine dining restaurant.
1820: Union Oyster House opens in Boston, oldest continuously operating restaurant in US.
1847: First Parisian café-concert, Café des Ambassadeurs, opens.
1876: Harvey House restaurant begins along Santa Fe Railroad it becomes an early famous chain restaurant.
The early to mid-20th century witnessed the explosive growth of chain restaurants, from innovative concepts like the Automat to the birth of iconic fast-food brands such as McDonald's, KFC, and Starbucks.
1901: Horn & Hardart opens first Automat in Philadelphia.
1916: Nathan's Famous hot dog stand opens on Coney Island.
1919: A&W Root Beer stand opens in California.
1921: White Castle founded in Wichita, Kansas.
1930: Howard Johnson's founded in Massachusetts.
1940: McDonald's Bar-B-Que restaurant opened by Richard and Maurice McDonald.
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1950: Dunkin' Donuts founded in Quincy, Massachusetts.
1952: Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) founded by Colonel Sanders.
1953: Burger King founded as Insta-Burger King in Jacksonville, Florida.
1954: Ray Kroc opens first franchised McDonald's restaurant.
1958: Pizza Hut founded in Wichita, Kansas.
1962: Taco Bell founded by Glen Bell in Downey, California.
1965: Subway founded as Pete's Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
1967: Domino's Pizza founded in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
1971: Starbucks opens first store in Seattle's Pike Place Market.
The modern era of restaurants is characterized by the rise of famous restaurateurs / chefs and innovative cuisines, the emergence of fast-casual dining concepts, and the transformative impact of technology on every aspect of the dining experience.
1981: Wolfgang Puck opens Spago in Los Angeles, pioneering California cuisine.
1984: Outback Steakhouse founded in Tampa, Florida.
1986: First Panera Bread (then St. Louis Bread Company) opens.
1991: The French Laundry purchased by Thomas Keller, becoming a culinary destination.
1993: Chipotle Mexican Grill founded in Denver, Colorado.
1995: OpenTable founded, pioneering online restaurant reservations.
2004: Yelp launched, revolutionizing restaurant reviews.
2009: Uber Eats launches, part of the food delivery app revolution.
2011: Celebrity owned casual burger restaurant, Wahlburgers, is founded.
2020: COVID-19 pandemic causes widespread restaurant closures and pivots to takeout/delivery.
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