JBJ Soul Kitchen is Addressing Food Insecurity
“Until you experience it, I can’t explain it to you. You can really feel it when you go there. You’ll see.”
Those are straightforward words from JBJ Soul Kitchen founder and director Dorothea Bongiovi about the feeling her restaurants generate, and she was spot-on: Just setting foot in the flagship Red Bank location on a recent Sunday morning felt warm and calming. It wasn’t just a contrast from the sub-freezing temperature outdoors; it was a thoughtfully considered and well-articulated vibe.
The cozy space was filled with color and activity, from snippets of fresh rose hips and greens (gathered from a volunteer’s yard) arranged in tiny glass vases and placed on each table to the banter between kitchen staff and volunteers. This is a professional restaurant kitchen and everyone in it, both salaried and volunteer, is skilled and focused on their work. But the mood feels more like Thanksgiving morning in front of the stove, populated with friends and family who genuinely enjoy each other’s company.
“In other kitchens, sometimes you’ll ask a kid to go get some onions, and after a while you’ll find him out back smoking a cigarette,” says Chris Ross, Red Bank Soul Kitchen head chef, on the JBJ Soul Kitchen difference. “Everyone who’s here wants to be here.”
“I REALLY WANTED TO BRING DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC PARTS OF THE COMMUNITIES, DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, TOGETHER.”
There’s more friendly banter in the dining room, as brunch guests are welcomed inside before service to get out of the cold. Many are regulars, and the staff greets them by name as they’re escorted to the tables. From there, guests browse the three-course menu of healthy, seasonal, freshly made dishes; in warmer months, much of the produce on the Red Bank menu is harvested directly from the garden out front, says Ross. Volunteers take orders, serve, and clear each course. “It’s like they’re coming to my home,” says Bongiovi. “I want them to have a beautiful experience, to have delicious food, and to feel like they’re at home.”
Between the four JBJ Soul Kitchen restaurants (Red Bank, Toms River, and at Rutgers University–Newark and New Jersey City University), this “home” has served close to 200,000 meals since the Red Bank location opened in 2009. Just a year earlier, Bongiovi had learned of a Denver café that operated with a pay-what-you-can business model. It inspired her to expand the philanthropic work begun with her husband, musician Jon Bon Jovi. “Jon had started the JBJ Soul Foundation around homelessness,” she says. “During the economic downturn, I was watching a show about SAME (“So All May Eat”) Café and kind of became obsessed with this idea. We all know soup kitchens and food pantries. But I really liked the idea of having a restaurant experience, with dignity.
“Food is a great common denominator,” Bongiovi continues. “Everyone enjoys having a good meal. Everyone enjoys breaking bread and getting to know somebody. That’s a big part of it for me, to remove the stigma of food insecurity. I really wanted to bring different socioeconomic parts of the communities, diverse communities, together.”
After dining at JBJ Soul Kitchen, guests are invited to make a suggested donation to cover the cost of their meal and, if they choose, to also “pay it forward” for someone unable to pay. Those unable to pay are welcome to dine as any customer would and then invited to inquire about ways they can volunteer to cover the cost of their meal. Volunteering is not mandatory in return for a meal. “SAME’s model is ‘pay what you can,’” she says. “Ours is ‘pay it forward.’”
That forward momentum is propelled by hundreds of volunteers—at this writing, the count stands at nearly 500 between the Red Bank and Toms River locations. Nicole Dorrity, community coordinator of Red Bank’s JBJ Soul Kitchen since December 2020 (at the height of Covid), meets the challenge of managing volunteers with conviction and heart—a formidable combination.
“The challenge of food insecurity within our community is growing,” Dorrity says. “It is rewarding for me to meet with and learn about the barriers some of our guests face so we can work together to break the cycle of hunger within our community.”
“Our staff and volunteers are boots-on-the-ground, dealing with people on a lot of different issues,” says Bongiovi. “They’re trying to help guests; they’re not just giving a meal. They’re helping us fold napkins, cleaning silverware, doing maintenance jobs, taking care of the gardens out front. They’re the soul of everything we do.”
“EVERY MEAL IS A STORY.”
CLASS ACT
Over the past few years, Bongiovi and her husband have widened the reach of the JBJSK model, targeting a demographic that tends to fly under the radar: college students. Over 33% of students attending a four-year college experience food insecurity. The first JBJ Soul Kitchen campus location opened in 2020 at Rutgers University–Newark, after an illuminating visit and test drive.
“We went to the food pantry there and there must have been 50 students waiting to get in,” says Bongiovi. “And we thought, ‘OK, there is definitely a need here.’ I’m a big believer in pilot programs, so we did a pop-up first, and it was really well-received. “We didn’t just want to open a restaurant; we wanted to address a need,” she says. “You can’t go to class hungry. You can’t think if you haven’t eaten.”
In 2023, a second JBJ Soul Kitchen opened on the New Jersey City University campus.
“It creates community,” says Bongiovi. “They’re meeting other students. No one walks up and says, ‘Hey, I’m homeless, I’m in need, please can I get a meal?’ People do not want to self-identify. Everyone wants to give the impression that their world is round. “We’re creating safe spaces where people can come in and share,” she says. “And the staff at Rutgers and New Jersey City University are awesome; they’re so supportive and connected to the students.”
In the daily business of running the business, Bongiovi and her team work to dispel common myths, promoting accurate messaging via social media about food insecurity and those who struggle with it.
“There are misperceptions, like this is a choice they’ve made,” says Bongiovi. “I have yet to meet a person who has aspired to be homeless.” Another misperception is of how the JBJ Soul Kitchen model works. “We are a fully functioning community restaurant where all are welcome,” says Casey Pioli, senior communications manager of Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundations. “We encourage paying customers to dine with us and effect change by paying it forward to help cover the cost of those who are in need of a meal.”
“I see the appreciation people have for the experience they’ve had at the restaurant and the dignity they feel, because they know it’s not just a handout,” says Bongiovi.
“WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF HUNGER WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.” —Nicole Dorrity
(l. to r.) JBJ Soul Kitchen’s Head Chef Chris Ross, Community Coordinator Nicole Dorrity and Executive Chef Emily Yasi.
SEASONED WITH LOVE
In 2016, as a holiday gift for her support staff, Bongiovi asked General Manager Lou Morreale to create a spice blend, reproduced in bulk with the help of IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.). The result was so delicious that two more flavors, Cilantro Lime and Nashville JBJ Soul Seasonings, soon followed along with an eye to other opportunities.
“Lou puts it on popcorn, on sweet potato fries—it’s so versatile and yummy and has no chemicals,” Bongiovi says. “We thought, ‘Maybe this will sell.’ The dream always was to have a product line that would fund the restaurants. Newman’s Own Foundation 2.0. And with ecommerce now, we’re just going to do it ourselves. Like we do everything!” she laughs. Each new ingredient added to the JBJ Soul Kitchen model complements the core premise: facilitating an inroad to basic human needs.
“Every meal is a story,” Bongiovi says. “We’ve had veterans who are suffering from health or mental health issues who have said to me, ‘You saved my life.’ Stories like that are heartbreaking. In the greatest country in the world, we shouldn’t be struggling as much as we are. People just want to be with their families, have a good job, have a good house, take care of themselves.
“We’re there to help and support them.”
Dorrity (center) with JBJ Soul Kitchen’s staff and volunteers
JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank
207 Monmouth Street
732.842.0900
jbjsoulkitchen.org
JBJ Soul Kitchen Toms River
1769 Hooper Avenue
732.731.1414
jbjsoulkitchen.org
JBJ Soul Kitchen Rutgers University–Newark
Paul Robeson Campus Center
runewarkdining.com/jbjsoulkitchen
JBJ Soul Kitchen NJCU–Jersey City
Gilligan Student Union Building, 2nd Floor
njcu.edu/student-life/campus-dining/jbj-soul-kitchen
TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS
October 19, 2011 | The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation expands by opening JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, NJ, to address issues of food insecurity.
May 10, 2016 | Fulfill (formerly The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties), People’s Pantry (INSPIRE NJ) and the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation announce the opening of The B.E.A.T. Center (Bringing Everyone All Together), which includes the second location of JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River, NJ.
October 2016 | In partnership with International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), JBJ Soul Kitchen launches its Original JBJ Soul Seasoning.
June 23, 2017 | The Jefferson Awards Foundation (JAF), America’s gold seal of public service, honors Dorothea Bongiovi with the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Outstanding Public Service Benefiting the Local Community, for her powerful, positive impact during the foundation’s annual gala in Washington, DC.
November 15, 2018 | The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation (JBJSF) and the Pilgrim Baptist Church (PBC) open the JBJ & PBC Hope & Comfort Warming Center in Red Bank. The first warming center in Monmouth County, it provides the local homeless community a location during statewide Code Blue alerts for safe and secure shelter during below-freezing temperatures.
March 2019 | JBJ Soul Kitchen named an Edible Jersey Local Hero (Nonprofit).
January 22, 2020 | At Rutgers University–Newark (RU-N), where more than 50% of students have exceptional financial need, the campus community takes an innovative approach to address the issue by opening the first JBJ Soul Kitchen on a college campus in partnership with the school’s food service provider, Gourmet Dining.
October 29, 2021 | The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Foundation, the 10th anniversary of JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank, and the fifth anniversary of JBJ Soul Kitchen Toms River.
February 2023 | The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation once again partners with campus food service Gourmet Dining to bring JBJ Soul Kitchen to the New Jersey City University campus.
December 12, 2023 | JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank was awarded the 2023 Travelers’ Choice “Best of the Best” winner. Only 1% of TripAdvisor’s 8 million listings get this recognition. Additionally, JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River secured the 2023 Travelers’ Choice winner title, proudly ranking in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.
