In December, 1975, Gus and Diane Koerner started paying the rent on a small bar called the Cedar Door. Located in the 500 block of West 15th, the Cedar Door soon attracted a distinguished clientele of journalists, politicians, lawyers, and businessmen.

In June, 1984, the land was sold and the building was moved to East Cesar Chavez, on the West bank of Waller Creek, and remodeled. The Cedar Door flourished there until 1989, when the City of Austin purchased the land for the Austin Convention Center.

In December, 1989, with the help of the mayor and the city council, the building was moved again, to the corner of Cesar Chavez and Lamar Boulevard, on a property then owned by Union Pacific Railroad. Additional remodeling was done, including ramps, decks, and porches. The Bar reopened in February of 1990.

In November, 2001, the Cedar Door was again pushed out to make room for its latest landlord's development plans. In the summer of 2002, it reopened its doors at 2nd and Brazos Streets, its fourth move in the past 26 years. The building was moved to its new location on May 28, 2002, and reopened on Labor Day weekend. The building retains its original character, with a new deck and an outside bar, misters and heaters.