Restaurant Swinging Doors: A Must-Have for Kitchens and Dining Areas

Choosing the right doors for your restaurant or commercial kitchen is essential for both efficiency and ambiance. Swinging doors, also known as restaurant kitchen doors or saloon doors, are a smart and stylish way to manage foot traffic, maintain privacy, and separate distinct areas without disrupting flow. This guide breaks down the types, uses, and advantages of restaurant swinging doors so you can choose the best solution for your space.

Key Takeaways:

• Restaurant swinging doors enhance efficiency, privacy, and traffic flow.
• Ideal for high-traffic areas like kitchen entryways, bars, and restrooms.
• Available in full-size or partial-height designs depending on your space needs.
• Double-action hinges allow hands-free operation with automatic return.
• Great for noise reduction and visual separation between spaces.

What are Restaurant Swinging Doors?

Also known as the saloon doors or cafe doors, these swinging doors are mounted with double-action hinges that can efficiently hold the door securely in one place. This, in return, allows the individuals to easily pass through the door by simply pushing it. Once the person has passed through, the door will automatically return to its closed position. Hence, these doors make it simpler to pass through spaces if the individuals are holding dishes.

What are the Types of Restaurant Swinging Doors?

The kitchen swinging doors are typically designed as both full-sized doors that cover the entryway and smaller doors that only cover the middle portion of the passageway. In general, the smaller doors are highly preferred since they easily segregate the two areas while also allowing some degree of visibility.

In restaurants, it’s recommended to use the full-sized swinging doors to separate the dining room from the kitchen. This will allow some sense of privacy between the two consecutive spaces while also blocking sound and aroma from the kitchen. Many full-sized swinging doors have windows to allow for visibility between the two spaces. 

On the other hand, in the two adjacent spaces that require some sense of visibility and connectivity, it’s recommended to choose the smaller saloon-style swinging doors. This is also a smart way to separate two specific areas in a much more decorative and functional manner.

Where to Use Swinging Doors in a Restaurant?

Swinging doors are a very popular option for restaurants. They can be used in various spaces to segregate them, partially connect them, or prevent any food odors and sounds from traveling. Meanwhile, it’s easier for the servers to pass through them without having to worry about closing or opening the doors. Let’s have a look at the list of spaces that you can consider for swinging doors!

• Between the Dining Room and Kitchen - This is an ideal place to pick the swinging door. Not only does it segregate the two functions, but it also limits the travel of sound and odor while maintaining privacy.
• Behind the Bar - For the bars, it’s generally recommended to go for smaller doors since they maintain adequate privacy required while also avoiding any confusion regarding running into someone from the other end. They give good visibility and offer a great ‘hands-free’ option for the bartenders.
• Bathroom - These doors help in separating the dining space from restrooms or storage areas in the restaurants.

Benefits of Restaurant Swinging Doors

Enhanced Privacy 

Swinging doors serve as a visual and acoustic barrier, offering diners a more relaxed atmosphere by shielding them from the noise and bustle of the kitchen.

Limits Noise Transfer 

Commercial kitchen doors minimize the disruption of clattering dishes, conversations, and kitchen equipment, helping diners enjoy their meals.

Easy to Use 

With no handles required, restaurant kitchen doors can be pushed open from either side and automatically return to the closed position, ideal for busy staff carrying trays or supplies.

Improves Safety 

By creating defined boundaries between customer and staff areas, swinging doors help prevent accidental entry into unsafe or restricted zones.

Increases Efficiency 

Restaurant swinging doors allow for smoother foot traffic and reduce bottlenecks, especially during busy service times.

Shop Commercial Kitchen Swing Doors

Whether you’re outfitting a full-service restaurant, cafe, bar, or fast-casual kitchen, we offer a wide selection of commercial kitchen swing doors and custom restaurant door solutions. Choose from a variety of sizes, finishes, and styles to match your decor and operational needs.

Contact us at 1-855-343-6677 for help selecting the right swinging door for your restaurant—or browse our full product line to get started.

Ready to upgrade your kitchen or dining space? Shop restaurant doors or get a custom quote today!