Even after selling millions of albums, Jon Bon Jovi never forgot where he came from — a working-class family that taught him the value of compassion, dignity, and community.
In 2005, he founded the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, focused on fighting homelessness. But he wanted to do more — something direct, personal, and transformational.
In 2011, he opened the first JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, New Jersey.
But this wasn’t a charity soup kitchen.
It was a restaurant with no prices, no cash register ringing loudly, no uncomfortable stigma. Guests could:
- pay what they could
- volunteer if they couldn’t
- “pay it forward” to help someone else
Everyone was served the same healthy, dignified meal. No one was judged.
Families, seniors, job seekers, vets, teens — the dining room became a place where struggle wasn’t hidden, and kindness wasn’t optional.
When Hurricane Sandy hit, the kitchen became a lifeline.
When COVID hit, Jon and his wife Dorothea worked long hours helping prepare meals for families facing sudden unemployment.
Today, thousands of people have eaten there, many during the darkest moments of their lives.
And Jon?
He still shows up in an apron, washing dishes, taking photos, serving guests quietly without fanfare.
