Axios Dallas

North Texas is in the midst of an independent bookstore renaissance.

Why it matters: Independent bookstores have become gathering places for the like-minded, and an avenue for communities to support arts and culture.

• "Having a bookstore in your neighborhood is a fantastic selling point," Interabang manager Brian Weiskopf tells Axios. "It's better than having a Trader Joe's."

Driving the news: Tomorrow is Independent Bookstore Day. Several indie bookstores have sales and events, including in-store author appearances and workshops.

By the numbers: In 1995, the year before Amazon opened its online bookstore, the American Booksellers Association reported 5,500 bookstores with 7,000 locations, according to Publisher's Weekly.

• At the end of the Great Recession in 2009, there were 1,401 stores with 1,651 locations.
• Those numbers are slowly coming back up. Last year, the ABA reported 1,701 stores with nearly 2,100 locations.

What they're saying: "People are interested in a well-curated bookstore. Something that's hand-picked and well-chosen," Weiskopf says.

• "You can spend five hours in a big-box bookstore and not find what you're looking for and you can spend a few minutes in an independent bookstore and walk out with six books."

Reality check: "We're in a moment of growth, but I want to be in a bookstore and then be able to walk to another bookstore," Deep Vellum manager Riley Rennhack tells Axios. "As booksellers, we do something that an algorithm can't do. We need more."

As avid readers and enduring advocates for independent bookstores, we put together a list of our favorite indie bookstores in North Texas.

Dallas

Deep Vellum, 3000 Commerce St.

Interabang Books, 5600 W. Lovers Lane Suite 142.

Lucky Dog Books, 10534 Garland Rd.

Pan-African Connection, 4466 S. Marsalis Ave.

Pretty Things + Cool Stuff, 5902 Junius St.

Poets Bookshop, 506 N. Bishop Ave.

The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth St.

Whose Books, 1300 S Polk St. No. 267.

Fort Worth

Leaves Book and Tea Shop, 120 St Louis Ave. No. 101.

Monkey and Dog Books, 3608 W 7th St.

The Dock Bookshop, 6637 Meadowbrook Drive

Denton

Recycled Books, 200 N. Locust St.

Patchouli Joe's Books & Indulgences, 221 W. Hickory St.

A few more

Enda's BOOKtique, 428 N. Main St. in Duncanville.

O'Brien's Bookshop, 310 S. College St. in Waxahachie.

Storefront, 203 N. Commerce St. in Corsicana.

Arts & Letters Bookstore, 113 E Bridge St. in Granbury.

Walmart was the region’s top grocery store in 2021, closely followed by Kroger, according to a new market analysis.

Details: Grocery sales in the area totaled almost $24.8 billion in 2021.

• The data from sales-tracking firm Chain Store Guide reflects the whole metropolitan area in North Texas, with a population of 7.7 million.

By the numbers: People spent more than $6 billion at 92 Walmart stores and more than $4 billion at 95 Kroger stores.

• H-E-B raked in a little more than $815 million in 2021 at 11 stores, while Albertson's 31 stores sold about $948 million in 2021.

The intrigue: In 2021, the average Dallas-Fort Worth household spent 3.5% of its income on food and drink for the home.

• The national average was 5% in 2020. No figures yet for 2021.

Yes, but: According to our own very scientific survey of Axios Dallas readers conducted in December, 30% of you think Central Market is the best place for grocery shopping.

🎾 The ball is in your court. Check out these opportunities.

1. Development Director Dallas at AJC.

2. Account Executive at Axios.

3.Project Manager at Collabera.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

🌮 Jose Ralat, Texas Monthly's taco editor, is a finalist for two James Beard awards. (Texas Monthly)

😢 Max Glauben, who survived a Nazi death camp and became an advocate for the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, died early yesterday at age 94. (DMN)

👋 Billy Chemirmir was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the smothering death of an elderly woman, just one of more than a dozen he‘s accused of killing. (NBC5)

⚖️ A chef accused of sexually assaulting an American Airlines flight attendant testified during a civil trial that airline managers encouraged him to make advances on the woman. The suit says the company is responsible for the assault. (Star-Telegram)

🛑 Three private attorneys representing 15 migrants are asking a federal judge to shut down Gov. Greg Abbott's controversial border initiative and asked for class certification to pay more than $5 million to all illegally detained migrants. (Texas Tribune)

💬 Quote du jour:

"We're being left out. It's just terrible."

Delicious food was the focus of this week's drink adventure in one of Old East Dallas' new hot spots.

• Walk in under a red neon Cry Wolf sign, enter a cozy restaurant with a 70s playlist and you quickly forget you're next to a Domino's on busy Gaston Avenue.

Pro tip: Make a reservation and order the duck confit.

What to order: Cucumber gimlet — fresh cucumber, lime and gin.

Where: Cry Wolf, 4422 Gaston Ave. in Dallas.

Cost: $15

Six word review: Gin-uinely fresh sipper, complements great eats.

🤔 Know a drink we should try? Hit reply, and tell us.