the wild detectives
The Wild Detectives is an independent bookstore, bar, and cultural venue in Oak Cliff, Dallas, serving book lovers and cultural enthusiasts with a community-curated book selection, craft cocktails, and 300+ literary and music events since 2014.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDallas, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What the wild detectives does
The Wild Detectives is a privately held independent bookstore, bar, and cultural venue operating from a single location at 314 W Eighth St. in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. Founded in February 2014 by two Spanish civil engineers, Javier García del Moral and Paco Vique, the business combines curated book retail with craft cocktails, wine, beer, coffee, and light food service, plus a year-round calendar of literary and cultural programming including readings, plays, music shows, tastings, and screenings. The venue operates 10am to midnight daily (2pm to midnight on Mondays).
The company's core products are the community-vetted book selection (where every title is co-curated by the Dallas literary community and a global network of writers, librarians, and publishers), a full bar and coffee service, and a cultural programming slate that has totaled over 300 events since opening. Supplementary offerings include online book ordering via Bookshop.org, a 6-month or 1-year membership program providing 10% discounts and event access, digital gift cards valid at both The Wild Detectives and sister restaurant Sketches of Spain, and a "Weekends Without Wi-Fi" initiative that disables internet on Friday evenings through Sunday nights to encourage in-person conversation.
The business earns revenue across five streams: book sales (physical and online), food and beverage (cocktails priced $13–$14.50, wine $10–$45, beer $3.75–$8.50, coffee $3.75–$7.25), event tickets (including Shakespeare Everywhere productions), digital gift cards, and a recurring membership subscription. The go-to-market motion is event-driven and community-led — cultural programming drives foot traffic, and community co-curation drives word-of-mouth acquisition. The firm has no proprietary technology, no digital platform, and no public funding rounds; it operates as a brick-and-mortar independent retailer with a marketplace e-commerce extension.
the wild detectives firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- the wild detectives
- Legal name
- The Wild Detectives
- Website
- https://thewilddetectives.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Wild Detectives is an independent bookstore, bar, and cultural venue in Oak Cliff, Dallas, serving book lovers and cultural enthusiasts with a community-curated book selection, craft cocktails, and 300+ literary and music events since 2014.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
the wild detectives industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Bookstore & Bar
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921)
- SIC
- Retail-Variety Stores (5331)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Bookstores (New Books) (CRALAAAA)
Keywords
Where the wild detectives is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dallas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
the wild detectives business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Sale of new and curated books through physical retail location and online ordering service via Bookshop.org
- Food & Beverage: Sale of cocktails, wine, beer, coffee, tea, and light food items. Menu features locally sourced snacks and drinks.
- Event Tickets: Ticketed events including plays (Shakespeare Everywhere productions), readings, and other cultural programming.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards with customizable amounts, valid at both The Wild Detectives and sister restaurant Sketches of Spain.
- Membership Program: 10% discount membership program valid at both The Wild Detectives and Sketches of Spain, available in 6-month or 1-year periods. Includes special access to tastings and events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cocktails |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wine |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Beer |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coffee & Tea |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Non-alcoholic beverages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Food |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Membership - 6 Month |
| Subscription | Annual | Membership - 1 Year |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
the wild detectives product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Wild Detectives operates a single physical location in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, functioning as a hybrid independent bookstore, bar, and cultural venue. It sells a community-curated selection of books through its physical storefront and via Bookshop.org online, and it serves cocktails, wine, beer, coffee, tea, and light food items at an on-site bar. The venue also hosts more than 300 literary and cultural events annually, including book presentations, poetry readings, Shakespeare plays, music shows, wine tastings, and film screenings.
Product overview
The Wild Detectives is a hybrid independent bookstore-bar-venue in Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas. The business operates as a unified offering combining a curated bookshop, full bar service (cocktails, wine, beer, coffee), light food items, and an events venue. Core products include the physical bookstore with community-vetted books, bar and coffee service, and cultural programming through events like poetry readings, plays, music shows, and book presentations. Supplementary offerings include an online book ordering service, a membership program providing 10% discounts, digital gift cards, and the Weekends Without Wi-Fi initiative promoting face-to-face conversation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Independent Bookstore
- Bar and Beverage Service
- Light Food Service
- Cultural Event Programming
- Membership Program
- Digital Gift Cards
- Online Book Ordering
Companies that use the wild detectives
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
the wild detectives technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
the wild detectives partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Shakespeare EverywherecoreTheater company that produces Shakespeare plays at The Wild Detectives venue. Regular productions include A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, and Love's Labour's Lost. This is a key cultural programming partnership.
- Methodist Dallas Medical CenterminorHealthcare provider partnered with The Wild Detectives to host community health events including a Silent Reading event focused on managing migraines and sleep hygiene.
- Sketches of SpaincoreSister Spanish restaurant in the same market. Gift cards and membership programs are valid at both The Wild Detectives and Sketches of Spain. This cross-promotional partnership extends customer value across both establishments.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
the wild detectives competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BookBar: Independent bookstore and wine bar in Denver that pioneered the bookstore-bar hybrid format in the US. Operates a curated bookshop alongside a full bar, with regular literary events — directly comparable concept, geography notwithstanding.
- Housing Works Bookstore Cafe: Nonprofit bookstore-cafe in NYC combining curated book sales with a coffee/wine bar and literary events. Same hybrid book-plus-beverage-plus-events model, with comparable community-driven curation ethos.
- Greenlight Bookstore: Brooklyn-based independent bookstore with strong community event programming (readings, author talks, community partnerships). Shares the curated indie bookstore plus cultural events positioning.
- The Last Bookstore: Large independent bookstore in Los Angeles combining new/used books with art installations and a coffee/wine bar. Comparable independent bookstore plus experiential venue model.
- Book Soup: Independent bookstore in Los Angeles known for curated literary selection and frequent author events. Comparable indie bookstore positioning with event-driven community engagement.
- Books Are Magic: Brooklyn independent bookstore opened in 2017 with strong community focus, curated children's and adult sections, and frequent events. Comparable indie bookstore positioning targeting literary community engagement.
Broad incumbents
- Powell's City of Books: Iconic large-format independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, explicitly referenced alongside The Wild Detectives in American Way magazine's coverage of the indie bookstore renaissance. Larger scale but shared independent bookstore DNA and event programming.
- Politics and Prose: Iconic independent bookstore in Washington, DC, with a coffee bar and extensive author event programming. Larger and more established, but operates the same bookstore-plus-events-plus-beverage hybrid model.
- The Strand Bookstore: Historic independent bookstore in NYC with a rare books room and event programming. Operates at much larger scale, but is a benchmark for independent bookstore brand and cultural relevance.
- Elliott Bay Book Company: Long-established independent bookstore in Seattle with a cafe and robust literary event calendar. Larger and more established, but operates the bookstore-plus-beverage-plus-events model at scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
the wild detectives social profiles
Digital presencethe wild detectives financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
the wild detectives leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
the wild detectives funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
the wild detectives M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about the wild detectives
What does the wild detectives do?
The Wild Detectives operates a single physical location in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, functioning as a hybrid independent bookstore, bar, and cultural venue. It sells a community-curated selection of books through its physical storefront and via Bookshop.org online, and it serves cocktails, wine, beer, coffee, tea, and light food items at an on-site bar. The venue also hosts more than 300 literary and cultural events annually, including book presentations, poetry readings, Shakespeare plays, music shows, wine tastings, and film screenings.
Is the wild detectives a public or private company?
the wild detectives is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was the wild detectives founded?
the wild detectives was founded in 2014.
Where is the wild detectives based?
the wild detectives is headquartered in Dallas, United States, in the North America region.
How does the wild detectives make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are food & Beverage, event Tickets, gift Cards and membership Program.
Who are the wild detectives's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BookBar, Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, Greenlight Bookstore, The Last Bookstore, Book Soup and Books Are Magic. Broad incumbents are Powell's City of Books, Politics and Prose, The Strand Bookstore and Elliott Bay Book Company.
Does the wild detectives have an API?
No public API is recorded for the wild detectives.
What industry is the wild detectives in?
the wild detectives's product category is Independent Bookstore & Bar. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAAAA, General Bookstores (New Books). Its NAICS code is 45921 and its SIC code is 5331.