Jon Bon Jovi Washes Dishes At His Restaurant To Feed The Poor And Hungry For Free At Community Restaurant

Mar 24, 2020 by apost team

Last Thursday, American singer-songwriter Jon Bon Jovi was spotted in an Instagram photo washing dishes at JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, New Jersey. Run by the singer’s philanthropic foundation, the non-profit community restaurant serves customers regardless of whether they can pay or not.

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 was photographed last week working in one of the foundation’s community restaurants, which the 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 even 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 — just like Jon Bon Jovi himself did last Thursday.

The photo, which the JBJ Soul Kitchen posted to its account with the caption “If you can’t do what you do... do what you can!” along with a series of photos, shows the New Jersey native suited up in an apron, doing the dishes in the back of the house at JBJ’s Red Bank restaurant. Bon Jovi posted the photo to his account with the same caption.

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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 customers paid for the other half with donations.

JBJ Soul Kitchen currently has two locations, though Bon Jovi announced a third this January, according to NBC New York. But unlike JBJ Soul Kitchen’s first two locations, JBJ’s third restaurant opened on a college campus, Rutgers University-Newark, to battle food insecurity among university students. This marks the first time a non-profit restaurant chain has 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 opening ceremony for the unique, non-profit college restaurant. While many college students deal with the hardships of food insecurity, Rutgers University-Newark students are particularly in-need, with 50 percent of students requiring significant financial assistance, according to NBC New York. Moreover, JBJ Soul Kitchen reports that more than 30 percent of college students at four-year colleges struggle with food insecurity.

As of the past week, however, JBJ Soul Kitchen has suspended its regular service due to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the restaurant’s website. Effective immediately, only two restaurant locations will be open, but only for take out and in-need community members. On their website, the JBJ Soul Kitchen Staff added that despite the limited options and high demand, the restaurant will remain a "resource" for families struggling for access to food.

What do you think of Jon Bon Jovi's Soul Kitchen? Let us know what you think, and pass this heartwarming story on to your friends and family (especially to Bon Jovi fans).