At JBJ Soul Kitchen community restaurants, customers in need can eat for free, while customers who have the ability to pay are encouraged to donate. The menu has no prices on it, but a suggested donation is provided to paying customers. Those who can't donate to the restaurant are encouraged to get involved in the community and volunteer. Jon Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea Hurley, started JBJ Soul Kitchen, and although Jon Bon Jovi often gets "all the credit," it's actually Dorothea who had the idea for the restaurant and "does all the work," he told People in 2019.
Dorothea told Dining Out Jersey that the idea behind JBJ Soul Kitchen was to "give people a dignified, beautiful experience almost like coming to someone’s home."
The restaurant prioritizes food quality, even though some customers enjoy their meals for free.
"Food quality is very important whether a guest is paying or not. Everyone enjoys an amazing meal. Healthy, delicious food should not be a luxury," Dorothea told Dining Out Jersey.
The restaurant currently has four locations in New Jersey, according to its website.
The fact that paying customers and non-paying customers dine together is intentional, as per Dining Out Jersey, as Dorothea and Jon wanted to create an environment that was respectful, welcoming and non-judgmental.
Dorothea also wanted to raise awareness of what homelessness looks like, as "hunger doesn't look like what your mind's eye might imagine," she told CBS in 2019.
"It's the people at your church. It's the kids that go to school with your kids. And I think that was eye-opening for a lot of the community here that said, 'Oh, there's no homeless people here,'" she said at the time.
Six mantras are displayed on the restaurant's website and inside the restaurants: "all are welcome at our table," "where there is love there is plenty," "happy are the hands that feed," "good company whets the appetite," "friendship is our daily special," and "end the meal with a slice of happiness."
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Menus are updated biweekly and the restaurant uses natural, locally sourced ingredients. It serves three-course meals to paying and non-paying customers. Those who want to pay it forward can donate an additional $20 (in addition to the cost of their meals) to pay for the meals of those who are unable to donate.
