The new Cantina Laredo in Virginia Beach, VA has opted for a revolving door from Boon Edam for its main entrance. The door provides both convenience and prestige to the newly-built restaurant as well as providing security features to protect the restaurant overnight.
Situated in the growing town centre of the city of Virginia Beach, Cantina Laredo is located on the second floor of a mixed-use development. The ground floor features retail stores while above the restaurant are several floors with approximately 300 residential units. Total floor space for the restaurant is approximately 8,000 square feet; at 100% occupancy (pre-Covid-19), the restaurant would serve up to 700 customers on a weekend night and 500 on a weeknight.
“Opening a restaurant on the second floor is something new for the Cantina Laredo brand, so it was a bit unconventional about how construction had to be done,” said Niraj Patel, Financial Business Analyst, The Lap Group, a franchisee of Cantina Laredo. “From the beginning, we knew we wanted a rotating door rather than just a traditional push or pull door.”
According to Patel, the primary reason for a revolving door was to improve traffic flow. “During normal times, we would see 600-plus customers a day, so you can only imagine the chaos of what would happen when you have a large party of 15-20 customers trying to leave while several groups were trying to get in. We wanted to cut that down as much as possible.”
Another key reason for this decision was the fact that revolving doors provide a better appearance for the venue. “That door is the first and last thing that you see, so you want to have a really elegant entrance and exit,” Patel continued. “Not only does it look much better than a regular door, it also changes the entire ambiance of the entrance. It is definitely more luxurious than a door that you have to push or pull open.”
Cantina Laredo’s parent company, CRO Inc. of Dallas, includes the BoonAssist TQM manual revolving door in their standard specification for the main entrance, which is recommended for all locations. The spec also includes a unique Night Sliding Door option, which consists of two sliding, exterior panels that seal off the throat opening of the door, securing the entry and locking it when the restaurant is closed. This security feature deters break-in attempts and can also be used to close off the entrance during inclement weather or other types of calamities.
