It is estimated that there are more than 8 million restaurants in the world today. So it might surprise you to learn that restaurants as we know have only existed for a few centuries. Before 1765, there were no restaurants. There was nowhere in which a server brought you food and drink that you chose from a menu. In fact, there was no menus anywhere.There were places where travelers could eat centuries before that. The countryside was full of inns that would serve food. And there were bars where one could get a drink. The rich could also eat meals supplied 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 that sold soups. On his sign, he used the term "restaurant" to describe what he was selling. 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 began to use the term "restaurant" to refer to the place where soup was sold rather than the soup itself. More "restaurants" opened up in France, and people began to buy soups more regularly.Then, restaurants in Paris began to serve food other than soups. In the 1780s, menus started to appear. By the 1800s, there were many types of restaurants, and the restaurant concept was spread throughout the British Empire.A slow start gave way to rapid growth. Cities and towns around the world are filled with restaurants today. It is estimated that there are 1.6 million restaurants in Europe. In America, there are nearly a half million restaurants. Today, diners have millions of choices.Before 1765, travelers could have meals at a(n)_____.