It isestimated that there are more than 8 million restaurants in the world today. Soit might surprise you to learn that restaurants as we know have only existedfor a few centuries. Before 1765, there were no restaurants. There was nowherein which a server brought you food and drink that you chose from a menu. Infact, there were no menus anywhere. There were places where travelers could eatcenturies before that. The countryside was full of inns that would serve food. Andthere were bars where one could get a drink. The rich could also eat mealssupplied by private cooks. But there was nothing that could be called a“restaurant”.

　　A Frenchman changed that. In 1765,he opened a place in Paris thatsold soups. On his sign, he used the term “restaurants” to describe what he wasselling. Soups were considered “restorative”, so he called them “restaurants”. Finally,people started buying his soups even when not ill. And as time went on, people beganto use the term “restaurant” to refer to the place where soup was sold ratherthan the soup itself. More “restaurants” opened up in France, and people beganto buy soups more regularly.

　　Then, restaurants in Paris began to serve food other than soups. Inthe 1780s, menus started to appear. By the 1800s, there were many types ofrestaurants, and the restaurant concept was spread throughout the BritishEmpire.

　　A slow start gave way to rapid growth. Cities and towns around theworld are filled with restaurants today. It is estimated that there are 1.6million restaurants in Europe. In America, there are nearly a half millionrestaurants. Today, diners have millions of choices.