If your dog is on the trip with you, Redbones Dog Bakery and Boutique is the South Eighth Street shop where dogs are welcome inside and get a free sample of the bakery's treats. Owner Martinique Lemke is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco who worked in restaurants and spent two years living in Japan before moving to Amelia Island in 2004 and buying the shop soon after. The business itself dates to 1999, according to its Instagram profile.
Everything in the bakery case is made in the store daily, from ingredients such as apples, carrots, pineapple, peanut butter and cheese, and it's sweetened with honey, vanilla and bananas rather than sugar. The treat menu runs from cookies and biscuits sold by weight to chef's specials and dog cakes, and there are treats for cats too.
The other half of the business is food. The shop's brands page lists dry, canned, freeze-dried, frozen raw and gently cooked dog foods, from labels including Acana, Orijen, Fromm, Farmina, Open Farm, Stella & Chewy's, Primal and Steve's Real Food, plus cat food from Fussie Cat, Weruva and Sa-Shi. That's handy if your dog eats something specific and you'd rather not ship a bag ahead. The boutique shelves add collars and leads, beds, shampoos and spa products, toys, bowls and carriers for small dogs, and there's specialty wine and craft beer for the people.
Redbones is a corporate sponsor of the Nassau Humane Society, and its site describes Saturday "Puppy Kisses" adoption events in its "barking lot." The pet-friendly Amelia Island guide covers dog beaches and parks, and if you're out for a long day and your dog stays home, pet care can handle the walks and feeding.