“Hope is delicious.” That’s the slogan on the t-shirts at the JBJ Soul Kitchens.

Since 2011, Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorethea have been feeding the hungry in their New Jersey Soul Kitchen restaurants, regardless of their customers’ ability to pay.

Diners are asked to pay a $20 donation to cover their meal, plus a donated one. Those who can’t pay can donate by washing dishes, prepping food, waiting tables, or harvesting organic food grown on donated land for the restaurant.

Diners are encouraged to share a table with someone they don’t know via their “getting to know you” community-style seating.

The first Soul Kitchen opened its doors in Red Bank, New Jersey in 2011.

A second followed in 2016 near Toms River — an area once devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
In 2017, a third opened at Rutgers University, where hungry students can eat hot, healthy meals and can volunteer their time if they can’t afford to pay.

Bon Jovi says that “the way to feel good is to do good” and he’s feeling pretty good by creating socially sustainable commerce, serving delicious and nutritious food, all while helping out neighbors and their neighborhoods at the same time.

This story brought to you by Arroyo Seco Live.
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