When Ty Fulcher opened Social in 2013, the odds were not exactly in his favor. Fort Collins, Colorado, was a beer town through and through, home to dozens of breweries. But Ty saw a gap and filled it with spirits, creativity, and a small group of cocktail enthusiasts determined to do things differently.
Social began quite literally underground, in a basement space that had been used for storage since 1983. It did not even have a proper entrance when Ty found it. That space became the birthplace of one of Colorado’s most celebrated cocktail bars, named one of Yelp’s top speakeasies in 2022 and setting a new tone for hospitality in the city. “We wanted to bring genuine hospitality into play instead of just serving drinks and moving on,” he says.
The Community Behind the Cocktails
From the start, Ty believed that rising tides lift all ships. Rather than viewing other bars as competition, he treated them as allies. “Our goal was to get people coming back to Old Town,” he says. “Once we do that, then we can compete for the dollar.” That collaborative mindset helped shape the entire Fort Collins cocktail scene, which has since grown from a few cocktail bars to nearly a dozen.
Social’s success also rests on something less tangible but deeply felt: hospitality as a value, not a skill. “You can teach someone to bartend, but you can’t teach them to care about people,” Ty explains. His hiring philosophy is built around that belief. He looks for warmth, curiosity, and humility, not just technical know-how. “Our goal is to make guests leave in a better mood than when they walked in,” he says. “We don’t know if they’re coming from a funeral or a promotion, but we can always make their day better.”
From One Concept to Two
In 2018, Ty opened Union Bar and Soda Fountain, a modern take on the classic American diner. If Social was a dimly lit cocktail sanctuary, Union was its bright and bustling counterpart. The new venture tested his limits as an operator, shifting his focus from craft cocktails to food, volume, and systems. “Back-of-house operations were a whole new world,” he recalls. “I learned the flat top and grill pretty well for a couple months.”
Union’s success came down to the same principles that built Social: trust, teamwork, and relentless attention to detail. The space seats about 195 guests indoors and another 150 on the patio. Ty relied on a strong management team at Social to hold the fort while he launched Union, proving that great hospitality starts with great internal culture.
Craft as Collaboration
Over the years, Social’s bar program has become a playground for creativity. Ty and his longtime bar manager, Nathan, have developed more than 350 original cocktails, many contributed by their own staff. “We have workshop days where everyone experiments with new ingredients,” Ty says. “It gives them ownership, and they get to see their names in the cocktail book.”
That book, Social Standards: A Decade of Cocktail Excellence, captures ten years of recipes, lessons, and hospitality philosophy. It is part how-to guide, part love letter to the craft. And it is proof that what began as a niche basement bar has become a cornerstone of Fort Collins culture.
The Meaning of Hospitality
These days, Ty spends more time managing than mixing, but his approach has not changed. Whether he is designing a new menu, mentoring a manager, or greeting guests, his focus is connection. “Hospitality can’t be faked,” he says. “It’s not just about serving drinks. It’s about how you make someone feel.”
In an industry built on moments, Ty Fulcher’s story is a reminder that the best ones are not on the menu. They happen when people care, about their craft, their teams, and the communities they serve.
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