A charity pop-up restaurant run by rocker Jon Bon Jovi’s nonprofit will remain open for at least another month despite Toms River Township’s mayor citing the cafe as a conduit for unhoused people assembling downtown.
A lease to the JBJ Soul Kitchen at the Ocean County Library on Washington Street was extended by county officials, the restaurant chain announced Thursday. It was set to expire this month after being extended once since the makeshift eatery opened in February.
The Ocean County Library Commission cited the restaurant’s success as a reason for extending the lease. The chain said since opening, it has served about 2,600 people while connecting 25 customers to housing and health services. Two people, the chain said, have secured permanent housing because of the restaurant’s outreach.
“We are deeply grateful to the Ocean County Library for supporting this initiative,” the Soul Kitchen said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to work with the community to further our impact, while creating hope, serving all with dignity and building a healthier future for all.”
The restaurant provoked a public feud between the Bon Jovi and Mayor Dan Rodrick, who argues the restaurant is causing an increase in homeless people congregating near the library, causing cases of disorderly behavior.
Rodrick claimed Thursday that unhoused people continue to congregate in Toms River. Police continued to field “constant” calls over the issue, Rodrick said. He further claimed Ocean County officials are prioritizing “politically connected” nonprofits transporting homeless people to Toms River rather than residents.
“The library is supposed to be for our children to read books and study,” Rodrick said. “It’s not supposed to be a makeshift daytime homeless shelter.”
Dorothea Bon Jovi came up with the concept of the Soul Kitchens. Here, in this file photo, she appears with her husband at the opening of a new JBJ Soul Kitchen on the Rutgers Newark campus in 2020. New Jersey Advance Media file photo
The mayor frequently referred to the restaurant as a “soup kitchen,” a term for establishments that provide minimal essentials to the needy. Bon Jovi, however, defended the restaurant chain’s purpose, calling it a method to improve quality of life.
“They (county officials) didn’t even call; they never asked, they just extended it,” Rodrick said, suggesting the Ocean County should have consulted with Toms River about the restaurant’s future.
The Soul Kitchen opened its first location in Red Bank in 2011, expanding to a second in Toms River, which remains open alongside the cafe at the library. Additional locations have opened in Jersey City and Rutgers universities.
Stories by Eric Conklin
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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.