For Courtney, deciding to open her Bone & Biscuit store in Edmonton wasn’t one she had been expecting. But when her path lead her to open Bone & Biscuit Garneau, she knew had found exactly what she needed.
Officially opened on November 7th, 2022, Bone & Biscuit Garneau is eagerly welcoming customers into their doors! Excited about joining the community, Courtney hopes to keep connecting with fellow pet owners and share her love for animals with you.
Keep reading to learn more about Edmonton’s newest pet supply store, Bone & Biscuit Garneau, and its store owner, Courtney.
Courtney’s Unique Path To Owning Bone & Biscuit Garneau In Edmonton, Alberta
Opening a store isn’t always a direct path for many. When it came to opening her Bone & Biscuit Garneau location, Courtney had some different steps before she settled on opening her Edmonton pet supply store.
“Our Bone & Biscuit franchise story is a little unique. My dad reached out to me to do a different type of franchise, which was a butcher shop, and he reached out to see if I’d want to open it with him. And first of all, I’m vegetarian, so that wouldn’t have been a good fit,”
says Courtney.
“So, I asked if he would be okay with me looking at different franchises that I think would be a better fit. And as I started looking more and more, Bone & Biscuit just seemed like the natural fit.”
After finding an opportunity in Edmonton, Courtney and her father seized the chance to open the Bone & Biscuit Garneau location together. They loved that the store brought opportunities to make the store their own and that they could work with animals, a lifelong passion for Courtney.
“We had been customers at Bone & Biscuits before, and I’m an animal lover. I grew up with cats, I have a dog now… I love that we’re encouraged to do our own thing and run our own business essentially and that we can work with animals every day.”
Finding The Perfect Spot For Bone & Biscuit Garneau In Edmonton’s Strathcona Area
Finding the perfect spot for a pet supply store can be a difficult task, but for Courtney, it was as simple as looking out at the area where she and her partner, Kale, were already living. After falling in love with Edmonton’s Strathcona area and its historical buildings, Courtney and Kale moved to Edmonton in 2018. And when it came time to choose a location for Bone & Biscuit Garneau, they came across the perfect spot.
“We’ve lived in a couple of different cities but this one I just fell in love with, specifically the old Strathcona area in Edmonton. And now our store is actually located there, too. It couldn’t have been a better place for us to open the store. And I still feel like it’s not real life that we’re in the area that I was first drawn to in Edmonton.”
The Strathcona spot has lots of perks for Bone & Biscuit Garneau, including its short drive from their home and accessibility.
“We live about a five-minute drive from the store. There are a ton of people that like to walk to our store and a ton of public transit that goes to the area. And also there’s the Whyte Avenue area which we’re on the end of that’s a hub in the city for local businesses. It’s a known destination area in the city for good local food, local shops, local artists – Everything is in the Whyte Avenue area,”
says Courtney.
“There is also a couple of dog parks that have opened nearby. There’s one smaller one that’s right on Whyte Avenue called Southbark, but we really love going to River Valley with Ellie.”
In the area with your pup? Here’s a quick list of the dog-friendly parks near Bone & Biscuit Garneau:
- Southbark On Whyte Avenue, Edmonton Alberta.
- Braithwaite Park, Edmonton Alberta.
- Hawlerak Trail Off Leash Site, Edmonton Alberta
- River Valley, Edmonton Alberta.
Here is Bone & Biscuit Garneau’s Address:
The “Boneified” Parts Of Owning Bone & Biscuit Garneau
The location isn’t the only thing Courtney loves about owning Bone & Biscuit Garneau! She also loves the personal connections she can make with her customers every day.
“All of my interactions with people have been so awesome since we opened. I’ve worked in retail in a bigger chain store before, and it was not nearly the same type of interactions. I love that I can spend time with my customers who come in the door and I can sit and listen to see what they need or how to help them in that way. I’m not in a hurry to do a hundred other things while they’re in the store. I can focus on them when they come in. I love that aspect of it. I also love seeing the dogs and cats come in – I’ve had a couple of cat visitors who have walked in on harnesses, and lots of dogs. Ellie definitely might be getting jealous that I’m coming home smelling like other dogs, but I love just interacting with the people and their pets,”
says Courtney.
All of her interactions with her customers and their pets have built a sense of community for Courtney, and she loves being a part of it and helping out where she can.
“Feeling like I’m a part of the community has been amazing, especially since we’ve been working with animal rescues. In December, we were doing a donation initiative that was a wish list project for GEARS, an Edmonton-based animal rescue, and we got all of our wish lists checked off. We love being able to do that and support local animal rescues, and having the community support in our rescue and fundraising initiatives has even more solidified that I’m part of the community.”
Getting To Know Bone & Biscuit Garneau’s Owner, Courtney
With her heart on her sleeve, Courtney is a passionate animal lover and loves to explore the world with Kale and their dog, Ellie. But what you may not know is that she is also an avid reality TV watcher, especially when Ellie can keep her company.
“I love to watch reality TV. I love The Real Housewives, that whole series, the Bachelor and the Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise… I will basically watch any reality TV. It’s just a true Sunday Mood,”
Courtney says with a laugh.
“I always say Ellie watches them with me, but she is napping usually beside me or on her own couch usually.”
And if you’re an ice cream lover like Courtney, she has plenty of recommendations to share.
“I love Kind Ice Cream. They have a location in Ritchie, so not too far from us if you’re going by car. They have a really good flavour that’s called Cookies And Sour Cream, and it sounds kind of crazy when you hear the name, but it’s the best ice cream.”
If you’re looking for more recommendations, be sure to stop by Bone & Biscuit Garneau to get Courtney’s Boneified Ice Cream Recommendations!
Meeting The Family Behind Bone & Biscuit Garneau
While Courtney has taken the lead on operating Bone & Biscuit Garneau, she’s had some support from Kale and her father along the way.
“It’s been mainly me at the store. But my partner, Kale, has been helping out when he can. He does work as a paramedic in the city of Edmonton though, so his schedule is already pretty busy. And then my dad lives in Saskatchewan, so he would have a decent commute to work if he were to come, it would be about an eight-hour drive. My dad is my business partner, so he’s honestly who is making this happen in the first place. Without him, I would not be able to do it.”
Bone & Biscuit Garneau’s Owner Is An Animal Lover Through And Through
Like many of our store owners, Courtney is a true animal lover and has grown up with animals all her life. She loves to work with animals and animal rescues and loves being surrounded by pets, including her beloved Ellie. An important member of the Bone & Biscuit Garneau family, Ellie is Courtney and Kale’s rescue dog.
“Ellie is about four and a half, and we got her when she was about one. She was living in a pack of 10 other dogs outside. And the rescue brought them in because they didn’t have food or water or shelter. So the rescue brought her and her pack in and put them in foster homes. And then Ellie was in her foster home for close to three months before we got her. I think we were only the second people to even apply for her, which is crazy because I fell in love with her pictures before even seeing her,”
says Courtney affectionately.
“I knew she was the dog for us before even seeing her or before even meeting her. And it’s been the best thing ever. Dogs just manage to find the deepest part of your heart that you didn’t know existed.”
Courtney loves being able to take Ellie on new adventures, and as a rescue, Ellie has had a journey of growth with Courtney and Kale, but Courtney couldn’t be more proud of her progress.
“The cuddle sessions are one of my favourite things, but I love just taking her for walks and exploring with her has been really fun. We’ve gone to lots of places that she used to be terrified of from her past. For example, she didn’t even want to go into her foster mom’s house when she first was rescued and now she’ll go in spaces as small as an elevator. Just watching her get braver and come into her own personality has been really cool,”
says Courtney.
Bone & Biscuit Garneau’s Pet Philosophy & Advice For Pet Owners
As an experienced pet owner and now the owner of Bone & Biscuit Garneau, Courtney loves to share her experience and help fellow pet owners with the wisdom she’s learned over the years. For Courtney, patience is always key, whether you’re a new or experienced pet owner.
“Just be patient and they’ll show you what they need. I know going into it, I did so much research and you think you know what it’s going to be like when you welcome a pet into your family, but every dog or every cat has different needs and it’s just a matter of giving yourself patience with that,”
says Courtney.
“It’s also important to remember too that they are living beings just like us and they have their preferences, or they’re stubborn sometimes or have their quirks, but it’s just working with them to give them what they need.”
An Exciting Future For Bone & Biscuit Garneau In Edmonton
Despite being open for only a couple of months, Courtney is thrilled to start planning more events, interacting with her customers and working with local animal rescues in Edmonton.
“The thing I’m most excited about is to be working with local Edmonton Animal Rescues. For the first year that we’re open, we’re partnering with GEARS, which stands for Greater Edmonton Animal Rescue Society. I’m very, very excited to be partnering with them and the community has seemed pretty excited about it as well. There are a ton of rescue parents out there and even if you’re not a
says Courtney.
“And I’m looking forward to continually trying to come up with ideas on what to do every month with the rescue, but also to even start hosting adoption events. Any animals are always welcome in the store, but it’s also a bonus when they’re animals that people can adopt and welcome into their homes. I’m pretty excited about all of the fundraising and adoption rescue opportunities because I can share my passion with people and have a bigger platform to raise more money.”
Along with working with rescues, Courtney is looking forward to creating a community atmosphere and working with other local businesses in the Edmonton area.
“I’d like to partner with some of the local businesses in the future to do just different fun events that showcase some of the other local businesses in the area because we have so many good businesses in our area. I want to bring a community aspect to our store because we are in such an awesome community and this area of Edmonton is very community-oriented. So, whatever I can brainstorm to get more community involvement in the store is my goal.”
Come Visit Bone & Biscuit Garneau And Welcome Courtney And The Garneau Team Into The Neighbourhood
Courtney can’t wait to welcome customers and their pets into her store. Courtney is also hoping to celebrate the store opening with a Grand Opening Celebration, and hopefully with an adoption event, sometime in the next couple of months. If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to follow them on social media to stay up to date.
Ready to create a community environment she can share with her customers, Courtney hopes you’ll stop by the pet supply store to pick up your next bag of pet food or just to say hi.
Welcome to the pack, Courtney and Bone & Biscuit Garneau!
Bone & Biscuit Garneau’s Address:
Bone & Biscuit Garneau’s Contact Information & Social Media:
Phone Number: 780-435-0957
Facebook: @boneandbiscuitgarneau
Instagram: @boneandbiscuitgarneau
Take a Look Inside Bone & Biscuit Garneau:
0 Comments