9 Reasons Why Your Bar Needs Saloon Doors (Now!)

If you're curious about why your bar needs saloon doors, then we've got you covered. Learn more about it now!

The western saloon is featured in all the best cowboy films, from Laurel and Hardy's "Way Out West' to Clint Eastwood's "High Plains Drifter". They almost always have those iconic swinging saloon doors. And yet, if it hadn't been for legislation passed by Congress in 1832 allowing the serving of alcohol to customers who hadn't leased a room, the saloon would not have existed.

Perhaps you didn't know your bar is crying out for saloon doors. Read on for 9 reasons why you should get them.

What Are Saloon Doors?

Saloon doors are those swinging doors that were traditionally used in all those old movies about the west. They consist of two doors, each of which is attached to the door frame with hinges that open inwards and outwards and self-return to center. People can enter or exit by pushing through the doors.

The doors typically don't extend to the ceiling or floor. The doors are sometimes known as café doors.

The traditional saloon door has many modern-day uses. They are especially appropriate for a bar today.

1. Wide Doors

When an entrance or exit is wide, a traditional width door is too small. A wide entrance calls for a double-width door but that can lead to confusion about whether to push or pull and which of the two doors to open. When leaving the doorway open isn't an option, try a saloon door.

Traditional saloon doors are a great solution to the double door problem. They are an effective compromise and almost everybody recognizes how the saloon door operates.

They give good visibility to anybody approaching the door from the other side. This means that there's no confusion about running into someone approaching from the other side. The double-width means that one person can be entering while another is exiting.

2. Degrees of Separation

A door acts as a means of separating one space from another. This can be separating the inside from the outside. it can also be a way of separating rooms.

A bar sometimes needs to separate rooms that have different functions but without the solidity of a door. Examples of this are a kitchen from a restaurant area or a pool room from a bar room. Saloon doors provide this physical barrier without shutting the two areas off from each other completely.

3. So Simple

Fitting saloon doors is very simple. You don't need a traditional door jamb if there isn't one in place. At the same time, if there is a door jamb, a saloon bar can still be fitted.

Saloon doors can even be fitted in a hallway, used to replace an existing door, or custom made to fit on trim boards attached to the wall. In short, they are simpler to fit than normal doors. If you need a door, consider a saloon door first.

4. Hands Full

Do your servers have to carry trays or drinks through a doorway? If they do, a normal door with a handle is difficult or even impossible for them to open with their hands full.

What's the solution? They could carry less food and drink so that they always have a hand free to open the door. The reduction in productivity is obvious.

They could wedge the door open permanently. This leaves the customers with a view into the kitchen which can distract from the ambiance of the bar or restaurant.

The answer is to fit saloon doors. They can be opened "hands-free" and they close automatically too.

5. Swing Both Ways

In a bar where customers or servers need to move into and out of a room, having dedicated in and out-doors isn't always practical. Saloon doors swing both ways allowing entry and exit using the same doors.

6. Iconic Style

The western or cowboy film is fundamental to the American dream. It represents adventure, freedom, open spaces, and the land of opportunity. For many American's growing up on a diet of western movies, the saloon door is a familiar memory.

Those westerns often had key entrances of either the hero or the villain entering through the saloon doors. They would swing open and everybody in the bar would turn to look at who was entering. Sometimes they were the exit route as a character was unceremoniously ejected from the bar and out onto the street.

All this symbolism is available to any bar owner who wants it. All that is needed is the installation of swinging saloon doors.

7. Ventilation and Lighting

A conventional door stops air and light from entering or leaving a room. There are times when you want ventilation and light to pass from one room to another but still want to separate the rooms.

Saloon doors allow air movement and don't disrupt the effect of air-conditioning or heating. Saloon doors can also allow light to pass from one area to another making them ideal for hallways and difficult to light areas.

8. Sweep That Floor

Do you need to frequently sweep or mop your floors? This might be because you have a high degree of traffic from customers or it may be that they bring dust in from the street. Whatever the reason, doors get in the way of cleaning.

Saloon style doors don't reach down to the floor, so they allow easy access for cleaning. You can sweep or mop right through the doorway without trapping dirt.

9. Shut That Door

Whenever you have people entering and exiting, it can be difficult to keep a door closed. Some people close it, and others don't. One great advantage of saloon doors is that they swing shut themselves.

Your Entrance

Saloon doors have so many benefits. You really should be fitting them now in your bar. They'll make life so much simpler and just imagine the entrance you can make through those iconic double doors. Whether it's a commercial bar or a bar room in your room, saloon doors add flair and function to your bar.

Talk to us about your saloon door needs right here.