Jon Bon Jovi Opens The Soul Kitchen, a Pay What You Can Restaurant in New Jersey

Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea have opened a new restaurant in Central New Jersey that allows people to pay what they want for upscale meals, or volunteer to earn gift certificates for food.
In an attempt to put a new and progressive spin on the traditional soup kitchen model, Jon and Dorothea Bon Jovi have launched The Soul Kitchen restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey. Their approach is entirely unique in that their upscale menu has no prices listed and patrons are instructed to pay what they can for the meals they receive. For those that don’t have the money to pay, there are numerous options. They can volunteer to work at the restaurant or associated charity organizations in return for vouchers to eat at the Soul Kitchen. Regardless of whether the people feel comfortable in food service, there are openings they can fill.
Ron Bon Jovi envisions that piece of the model as distinctive from traditional soup kitchens. You never need money to eat at Soul Food, but you have to do something, to contribute to the community and society as a whole. That involvement is meant to encourage personal growth and a sense of belonging, but will also help to develop the practical skill sets that could eventually be used to get paying work in the future.
“If you come in and say, ‘I’m hungry,’ we’ll feed you,” the rocker said. “But we’re going to need you to do something. It’s very important to what we’re trying to achieve.”
And unlike many celebrity endeavors that simply involve setting up a foundation with their name and face associated with it, Bon Jovi and his wife actually work regularly at their restaurant, which is open from Thursday through Saturday for dinner, and Sunday brunch. “Last Friday, I was at the White House, serving on the Council for Community Solutions, got on a train, changed in the bathroom and got here in time to wash dishes Friday night,” he said. “I’m the dishwasher, for real. I can’t cook a lick.”