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Jon Bon Jovi’s restaurant faces pushback from Toms River's mayor, reportedly over an increasing footfall of homeless people in the area. According to an April 7 report from NJ Advance Media, JBJ Soul Kitchen opened a makeshift cafe in the Ocean County Library, Toms River, on February 6 with an approved lease till March 31. This is the second restaurant in the township.
The officials, however, recently extended the lease till May 23. Meanwhile, Daniel Rodrick, Toms River Mayor, criticized Ocean County's authorities for the pop-up charity restaurant.
The mayor's concern is that the library is being used as a feeding facility, drawing a number of homeless people.
Jon Bon Jovi’s restaurant is allegedly increasing the number of homeless people in Ocean County
The frontman of the Bon Jovi band, Jon Bon Jovi, together with his wife Dorothea, opened a nonprofit restaurant, JBJ Soul Kitchen, in 2011, with its first location in Red Bank.
Later, Jon Bon Jovi’s community restaurant opened three more outlets at Toms River, Newark, and New Jersey City University. The restaurant's website describes it in the following words:
"We serve paying customers and those in-need. If you are unable to pay, we invite you into our restaurant to enjoy a warm meal and learn about volunteering opportunities at JBJ Soul Kitchen. If you can donate, we ask that you make a suggested donation and also Pay it Forward. We provide a dining experience that fosters a sense of community and addresses issues of food insecurity."
In the pursuit of expanding and feeding more people, JBJ Soul Kitchen opened a pop-up cafe in February inside Tom River Township's Ocean County Library, with the approval of the Ocean County Commissioners Board and library commission.
The mayor of the township, however, doesn't seem happy with the restaurant. The April 7 report of NJ Advance Media shared the views of the township's mayor. The mayor showed his dissatisfaction with the pop-up restaurant and said:
“If they’re going to turn this into a homeless shelter, hell, cut everybody a check and give them a Barnes and Noble gift card.”
The statement continued,
“I want it gone. We certainly don't think that the library is a good place. The issue was never Bon Jovi. It was [the] Ocean County Board of Commissioners who engaged with these nonprofits.”
However, Ocean County Commissioner Robert Arace said that they have data showing no such increase.
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About Jon Bon Jovi’s restaurant
A part of the JBJ Foundation, the community restaurant works on a pay-it-forward model. The restaurant offers a three-course meal in lieu of a suggested donation for volunteering. Apart from that, people can directly donate to the restaurant without visiting.
The restaurant menu rotates on a biweekly basis and includes American regional dishes. The full meal begins with a salad or soup. The main course comes with a few choices, and a dessert or a fruit completes the meal. The menu is prepared with natural and locally sourced ingredients.
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The restaurant has so far served over 200,000 meals through this unique model. The JBJ Soul Kitchen provides proper training to those who wish to volunteer. Besides, Jon Bon Jovi’s restaurant also sells coffee, seasoning, and merchandise.
