customer, client - someone who pays for goods or services

operagoer - a patron of the opera

habitue, regular, fixture - a regular patron; "an habitue of the racetrack"; "a bum who is a Central Park fixture"

France, French Republic - a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

innkeeper, boniface, host - the owner or manager of an inn

owner, proprietor - (law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business; "he is the owner of a chain of restaurants"

benefactor, helper - a person who helps people or institutions (especially with financial help)

backer, angel - invests in a theatrical production

godfather - someone having a relation analogous to that of a male sponsor to his godchild

godparent - a person who sponsors someone (the godchild) at baptism

guarantor, warranter, warrantor, surety - one who provides a warrant or guarantee to another

patroness, patronne - a woman who is a patron or the wife of a patron

pillar of strength, tower of strength - a person who can be relied on to give a great deal of support and comfort