Independent bookstores serve our communities by being both a source of knowledge and revenue. When local businesses do well, our economy does well—it’s a rising tide that lifts everyone up with it. That magic is amplified when the store provides a secondary service to residents, much like Wild Detectives in Dallas.
Owned and operated by Javier García del Moral, the original (located at 314 W. Eighth St.) store has been putting books into people’s hands since 2014. On the shop’s website, García del Moral explained why he originally started the business and where he drew its name from.
“The Wild Detectives began with a simple idea: a bookstore with a bar, where books could lead to conversations. Our name comes from Roberto Bolaño’s novel ‘Los Detectives Salvajes (The Savage Detectives)’,” he wrote.
Those conversations have been ongoing for over a decade, and the popularity of the store has led Moral to open a second location at 321 N. Zang Blvd. The space was previously occupied by Sketches of Spain, a restaurant that was similarly owned and operated by García del Moral. He chose to close the eatery in July to make way for the Wild Detectives expansion.
As García del Moral told CultureMap Dallas, “The original bookstore was at capacity, and we felt it was time to expand and do more with books and programming in a bigger space that fits a larger selection and offers more event opportunities. The restaurant was a great experience, but it was time to try something new.”
With the new location comes a change in inventory. The original store on W. Eighth Street, which will be called The Wild Detectives Stories from now on, will only sell fiction books (i.e. novels, children’s books, Spanish-language literature, poetry). The secondary store on N. Zang Blvd. will be called The Wild Detectives Ideas and will only sell nonfiction books (i.e. philosophy, history, art, politics, music).
García del Moral said, “With all the current social issues and conversations happening, we noticed people turning to a variety of topics to understand and navigate different situations. This new space allows us to feature a broader range of subjects.”
Both Wild Detectives locations operate a kitchen and bar
One of the main draws for both Wild Detectives locations is that both sell food and beverages for people to enjoy while they’re browsing titles or reading a book they just purchased. The chef who previously worked at Sketches of Spain, Iñaki Betrán, is in charge of the menu.
Items include quiches, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and toasts, as well as coffee, wine, beer, and cocktails. Full menus for each store can be found here. Simply select the location you plan on visiting to see what’s being served.
The Wild Detectives Ideas (nonfiction, 321 N. Zang Blvd.) is open daily from 9 a.m. to midnight. The Wild Detectives Stories (fiction, 314 W. Eighth St.) is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to midnight, and on Mondays from 2 p.m. until midnight.
The Wild Detectives Ideas hosted a soft opening recently but will officially open for business on October 2. Javier García del Moral is looking forward to welcoming people into the new space.
As he told CultureMap Dallas, “With both concepts, we aim to provide spaces where people can express themselves. Digital communication is fantastic, but it’s not enough. We find that people — especially younger generations — are seeking spaces for in-person dialogue, and we hope to fill that gap.”
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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