Jon Bon Jovi Has Three Soul Kitchen Restaurants, Which Serve Free Meals To People In Need

Dec 17, 2021 by apost team

While celebrities aren’t always known for their generosity, the 58-year-old rockstar Jon Bon Jovi seems to be a clear exception. Known for his philanthropic work through the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, Bon Jovi has been spotted multiple times while working in one of the foundation’s community restaurants, which the charity’s website defines as “a place where individuals or families can come to eat a delicious farm-to-table meal in a warm, welcoming setting and meet our neighbors.” The restaurant also features a professionally trained chef who prepares the restaurants’ three-course meals. But what separates JBJ Soul Kitchen from other restaurants most of all is its priceless menu. Regardless of whether someone can donate or not, customers always have the option to eat for free. For those who want to give back, community members can also donate their time to the restaurant.

According to the restaurant’s website, the JBJ Soul Kitchen has served over 100,000 meals over the past decade. Around half of the meals were served completely free to those in need, whereas the other half paid with a donation.

JBJ Soul Kitchen has three locations, though the third location opened recently in January 2020, according to NBC New York. Unlike JBJ Soul Kitchen’s first two locations, JBJ’s third restaurant opened at Rutgers University-Newark to battle food insecurity among university students, marking the first time a non-profit restaurant chain opened on a college campus.

“Recognizing that food insecurity is a critical issue facing many college students, and one that hits home right here at Rutgers, when Gourmet Dining came to us over a year ago with the idea to open a Soul Kitchen, we jumped at the chance to make an impact," Bon Jovi’s wife Dorothea Hurley told NBC New York.

Along with Hurley, Gov. Phil Murphy also joined the January 2020 opening ceremony for the unique, non-profit college restaurant. While many college students deal with the hardships of food insecurity, 50% of Rutgers University-Newark students are in significant financial need, according to NBC New York. Moreover, JBJ Soul Kitchen reports that more than 30% of college students at four-year colleges struggle with food insecurity.

This isn’t the first time that the songwriter has paid it forward. Since 2005, Bon Jovi has worked with Habitat For Humanity to help build affordable housing across the United States. In his first year working for the organization, he funded a project to build six houses in Philadelphia. And in 2006, he helped establish the Humanity Ambassador program.

“From their relief efforts in the wake of the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, to the thousands of houses they construct around the world, Habitat for Humanity builds homes, lives, and dreams,” Jon Bon Jovi said in a Habitat For Humanity press release. “I’ve worked with Habitat in partnerships with my football team, The Philadelphia Soul and with my band over the past year. Handing over the keys to the families who have worked to earn them has afforded me some of the proudest, most uplifting moments of my life. As a Habitat For Humanity Ambassador, I now have the opportunity to help this work continue and I encourage others to become involved and share in the rebuilding of their communities as well.”

According to the JBJ Soul Foundation’s website, the charity has “helped provide support for almost 1,000 units of affordable and supportive housing in 11 states for thousands of people including youth and veterans.”

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Although some have compared Bon Jovi’s charitable efforts to U2’s Bono, the American rocker said that there’s a difference between “those who advocate and those who do.”

"I'm not trying to slight my peers, but there is a difference between using a soapbox and actually getting your hands dirty. I've spent not only years and millions of dollars but hours and hours and hours of my time doing what I do, and that's very different from what anyone else is doing,” Bon Jovi told USA Today in 2013.

Bon Jovi is likely referring to the fact that he often works on the ground with his charitable organizations rather than simply donating money. In March 2020, the singer-songwriter was spotted washing dishes at JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, New Jersey. Bon Jovi posted the photo to his account with the caption, “If you can’t do what you do... do what you can!”

In November 2021, Bon Jovi’s Soul Foundation celebrated its 15th anniversary, the 10th anniversary of the Soul Kitchen in Redbank and the 5th anniversary of the Toms River Soul Kitchen location.

It was back in 2004 that Bon Jovi first had the idea for a charitable project.

“I was staring out of the window of the Ritz-Carlton,” Bon Jovi told the Asbury Park Press. “I came in from a show, looking out of the window I saw a man sleeping on a grate. It hit me. It didn’t matter if he was white or black, young or old, Republican or Democrat. There was something we could work with and I knew we didn’t need a scientist to find that cure.”

What do you think of Bon Jovi’s philanthropic endeavors? Have you ever been to one of the rock star’s Soul Kitchens? Let us know — and be sure to pass this heartwarming story on.