House of Liquors’ Owner Ali Amirsadri.

House of Liquors
549 Quaker Lane
West Warwick, RI

Square footage: 12,000

Years in operation: 11 years

By Sara Capozzi

Owned and run by husband and wife Ali and Maryam Amirsadri, House of Liquors has been located on the same street for all 11 years of its history. The couple got their start across the street from the store’s current address. When they purchased the business in early 2013, they were renting a 4,000-square-foot space in a plaza. Less than a year later, they decided to move across the street into a building that Ali already owned—at 549 Quaker Lane.

The building, a former furniture store, had been vacant for a few years. “It was a good opportunity for us owning this, just bringing everything over here. We didn’t have to worry about all of the other problems in that location on top of paying all the rent,” Maryam said. Plus, they tripled their amount of floor space, taking them from 4,000 to 12,000 square feet.

The large structure and its bright rooftop sign make the store a landmark location that is easy to see from the road. They renovated the entire interior, installing custom-built wooden shelving and counters, coolers and flooring and moved in “literally overnight,” Maryam said. “Sunday night we closed there and Monday morning we opened here.”

One challenge the duo ran into was how much more inventory they would need to fill the space. “While we were working on that side, we were deciding what to add at the new location,” said Maryam. “We were asking the reps at the distributing companies to help us to figure out what is necessary to bring in. The inventory had to be bigger.”

New to the industry at the time, there was a bit of a learning curve. “I had no idea this business was this big and there were so many products,” Maryam said. “It took us about six months to get the basics … The products and understanding what other people are looking for was the first step, plus learning all the rules and laws of liquor in Rhode Island.”

With Ali’s experience working in a variety of businesses throughout his career, he was able to transfer those skills over and has found that things have run smoothly since. Ali said he believes the bottom line is, “You need to know how to do business. In general, we do well because I know business.”

House of Liquors carries an abundant collection of wines in a variety of price points. It is known by regulars for its exceptionally cold cooler and the availability of rare and in-demand high-end items. “Sometimes people looking for allocated items find them here and they leave happy,” Ali said.

The couple continues to work to build inventory in all categories, especially in spirits. “We’ve been improving that section over the last few years, bringing in more variety, more brands,” Maryam said. The store also offers regular tastings.

House of Liquors employs a team of about six, usually with more during the busier summer months. The team is careful to accommodate each person who walks in, which, along with the shop’s wide selection and competitive prices, makes each customer visit memorable.