Singh explains, helping alleviate the“ SKU-mageddon” that stores faced in those days with too many products.“ It decreased our packaged goods size, so now we didn’ t have to carry as many bottles.”
Through word-of-mouth advertising, the new store / bar concept quickly gained a loyal following. Singh wanted to keep the momentum rolling.
“ After we saw that the combo concept was a hit, we thought that it could work elsewhere,” Singh says.“ We made sure that any future store that we bought, we could turn it into a combo account.”
Today, Socialize owns six locations, five of which are on / off-premise combination locations.
The beverage alcohol retail half of the socialize businesses have been updated in terms of look and feel, while cutting back on the total number of SKUs.
He researched whether he could legally combine the available on-premise license with the family’ s liquor license. Convinced that the plan worked, Singh and his family made the investment. Soon, a bar and lounge would open up adjacent to that liquor store.“ In that era, that’ s what made us unique,” Singh says. Other beverage alcohol retailers in Maryland did already operate an on-premise component. But what separated Socialize was how they rebranded in their evolution. Originally called The Liquor Store, the family chain added the term“ Socialize” to their business, which is what they’ re now commonly known as.
Singh began redesigning the location. Out went the wooden shelves, IBM cash register and other vestiges from the industry’ s past. In went glass walls, marble floors and chandeliers. Neon lighting illuminates the chic lounge next door.
The location became half bar, half store.“ We rebranded as two business at one location,” Singh says.“ It brought in a different crowd.”
“ We were the first in our state to do this in the best way possible, with our branding,” he adds.
Reducing the size of the off-premise side helped relieve a problem over there.“ It decreased our buying pressure,”
UNIQUE OPERATIONS
These dual sites make for unique operations. Depending on local county law, the bar and liquor stores are connected by a door between the two. At first, this was a typical glass door that people could see through. But Singh realized that customers in the off-premise side were peaking through at the neon-lit bar on the other, which took away from the on-premise atmosphere. Now the connecting door is dark and tinted.
In terms of staffing these similar but-different businesses, the employees on either side have little to do with one another, Singh says.“ There’ s usually two different teams, depending on the location.”
Party promoters do much of the work on the bar side, helping run popular happy hours while staffing bartenders. Socialize’ s happy hour specials originally showcased only a few items, but now mostly every product is half off from 5 to 7 p. m., including Patron, Don Julio and cocktails.
Singh leans into this experiential mindset.“ I try to concentrate on the customers’ five senses,” he says.“ For sight, our stores are brightly lit, and we have neon lighting in the bars. I want our stores to smell nice. So we put air freshener products in our vent system, like what you smell when you walk into a casino.”
LOCAL TRENDS
As with any local chain store, Socialize sees different trends depending on the location.
The Towson, MD, spot is near Towson University, an enormous public university. This makes for a college town atmosphere, which creates certain buying patterns.
“ There it’ s all Buzzballz, Twisted Shotz, impulse buys,” Singh says.“ Post Meridiem, XXL.”
However, at the Baltimore location, the consumer trends lean more towards tequilas.
“ People are looking for 100 % agave, organic tequilas,” Singh reports.“ People are really increasing their knowledge in tequila, and they want to do it further,” by expanding their collections and palates for agave spirits.
“ Lagartona was one brand we brought in by customer de-
18 Beverage Dynamics • Spring 2026 www. beveragedynamics. com