Naked Dog Bistro Serves Barking-Good, Diet-Friendly Dog Food
It can be a little awkward to ask a waiter to adjust a menu item to fit a dietary need. After all, no one likes to be the person who has to answer yes to the “allergy or preference” question. Thankfully, Orange County is notorious for having specialty menu options pretty much anywhere you go. In Laguna Beach, where there’s a perfectly-pettable pup on every corner, Naked Dog Bistro is extending the same food courtesies to everyone’s favorite four-legged friend.
Owned and managed by mother-daughter duo, Charlotte Bloom and Lindsay Poe, this little corner store is whipping up meals and treats suitable for dogs with food allergies. “Creating an environment for dogs with special dietary needs was my primary mission,” Poe explains. “My own dog Kona, a male Weimaraner, had a gluten intolerance. So shopping for healthy food and treats was a challenge because the selection of grain-free and organic food is limited at large pet chain stores.”
Poe spends three hours every day making and decorating freshly-baked treats for man’s best friend in their grain-free, all-natural, and human grade bakery. Pet owners can choose from a menu of treats that is sure to make any dog sit, stay, and speak, including goodies like Snickerpoodle Cupcakes, Sweet Potato and Cheddar French Fries, Dog Sushi, and more. Celebrating a birthday? They create birthday cakes that can be decorated to fit any theme and are complete with three-dimensional biscuit borders.
At Naked Dog Bistro, Bloom and Poe operate on the belief that healthy eating (that tastes good) shouldn’t just be a treat. The pair even offer their own fresh dog food brand, called “Uncanny” to help transform a dog’s diet and lifestyle. These small batches of organic, grain-free, and gluten-free meals can be ordered and delivered upon request within 20 miles. Each meal is balanced with protein, fruits, vegetables, and carbs. With eight different options with names like Paw Lickin’ Chicken, Beef Pot Roast, or Bark-B-Que Beef to order from, chances are your dogs will be so satisfied, you’ll never again feel a wet nose braising your leg under the dinner table begging for “people food.”
“My goal is to inform and educate our customers on the importance of a healthy diet for their pets,” Bloom says. “As humans, we have many choices and chances to ‘cheat’ on our diets. Our pets cannot sneak into Pizza Hut. They rely on us to provide them with healthy, delicious food.”
Carrying everything from specialized foods, CBD oil and treats, collars, beds, toys, apparel, and one-of-a-kind “paw-ducts,” Naked Dog Bistro is Laguna’s (and Fido’s) one-stop-shop… for your pup.
Kaitlynn Labit is a freelance writer and editor based in Orange County. She has three dogs named Lilo, Bambi, and Roxxi who also answer to their nicknames: Bean, Noodle, and Old Lady.
Photos by: Grant Puckett.