Jon Bon Jovi’s JBJ Soul Kitchen Is Coming to Asbury Park: Everything You Need to Know
An abandoned Walgreens at the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue is about to become something beautiful — a community restaurant and expanded food pantry serving Asbury Park’s most vulnerable neighbors
1. What’s Happening: The Quick Answer
|
| Key Detail | Confirmed Information |
| Project | New JBJ Soul Kitchen community restaurant + expanded Mercy Center food pantry |
| Location | Former Walgreens building, corner of Main St & 2nd Ave, Asbury Park, NJ |
| Asbury Park Council Vote | February 11, 2026 — approved amendment to Main Street Redevelopment Plan |
| Key Partner | Mercy Center (nonprofit food pantry + social services) |
| Mercy Center CEO | Kim Guadagno (former NJ Lt. Governor) |
| Founded by | Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi (founder & program director) |
| Operating model | Pay-it-forward: suggested donations; volunteers eat free |
| Existing NJ locations | Red Bank (since 2011); Toms River/B.E.A.T. Center (since 2016); Rutgers-Newark; NJCU |
| Red Bank flagship milestone | Celebrating 15 years of service in 2026 |
| Meals served (Toms River pop-up) | 12,500+ meals served Feb.–Jan. 2025–26 |
| Mercy Center current pantry size | 900 sq ft — serving 130,000+ people per year |
| Opening date (Asbury Park) | Not yet publicly confirmed |
2. The Building: From Walgreens to Community Hub
The address is the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue in Asbury Park. Until recently, it was a Walgreens pharmacy — one of thousands of drugstores the chain has closed in communities across the country as part of a decade-long wave of retail consolidation.
Abandoned retail buildings are a common sight in many American downtowns. They sit, locked and emptying, sometimes for years. Asbury Park — a city with a complicated economic history that includes long periods of disinvestment followed by waves of revitalization — knows this story well.
What makes this building’s next chapter unusual is who’s moving in. Not a chain. Not a developer building luxury condos. JBJ Soul Kitchen and Mercy Center are transforming it into something the neighborhood needs: a place to eat, to connect, and to access services — regardless of whether you can pay.
Before construction and renovation begin in earnest, Mercy Center has already begun putting the space to work. During this past winter’s freezing Code Blue nights — nights when temperatures drop to dangerous lows — the nonprofit opened the building as a temporary warming center. The JBJ Soul Foundation shared details on social media, noting the effort drew strong online support.
The Coaster (Asbury Park’s weekly newspaper), first to report: The Asbury Park City Council voted on February 11, 2026 to amend the Main Street Redevelopment Plan, clearing the way for the Mercy Center and JBJ Soul Kitchen partnership to move forward at the former Walgreens site.
3. Who Is Mercy Center? The Key Partner in Asbury Park
JBJ Soul Kitchen doesn’t build alone. In Asbury Park, the key partner is Mercy Center — a nonprofit that has been quietly serving some of the city’s most vulnerable residents for years.
Mercy Center currently operates a food pantry in Asbury Park. In its current 900-square-foot space, the organization served more than 130,000 people last year. That number is worth sitting with: 130,000 people from a food pantry smaller than many two-car garages.
The move to the former Walgreens is, for Mercy Center, a generational upgrade. More space means more capacity. More capacity means more people served. The front of the building — the more visible, public-facing section — will become the JBJ Soul Kitchen restaurant. The rest of the expanded space will house Mercy Center’s larger food pantry operations.
Who Leads Mercy Center?
Mercy Center is led by Kim Guadagno — who may be familiar to New Jersey residents from a previous life in politics. Before becoming Mercy Center’s President and CEO, Guadagno served as New Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor from 2010 to 2018, making her the first person to hold that office. She ran for governor in 2017, losing to Phil Murphy.
Her pivot from politics to nonprofit leadership — and specifically to running a food pantry that serves 130,000 people a year — is itself a story worth noting. At the February 11 city council meeting, it was Guadagno who presented the numbers and made the case for the council to approve the plan.
4. What Is JBJ Soul Kitchen? A Complete Explainer
If you’ve heard of JBJ Soul Kitchen but never been, here’s everything you need to know before the Asbury Park location opens.
JBJ Soul Kitchen is a nonprofit community restaurant. That phrase — community restaurant — is the key. It’s not a soup kitchen. It’s not a charity cafeteria. It’s a full-service restaurant with a chef-prepared three-course menu, a warm dining room, and a genuine dining experience. The only thing missing is prices.
What You Get When You Dine at JBJ Soul Kitchen
- A three-course meal: your choice of soup or salad, followed by one of five entrée options (meat, fish, and vegetarian choices), and dessert
- Locally sourced, chef-prepared food — including produce grown in the kitchen’s organic garden at the Red Bank location
- A welcoming dining room where paying customers and guests in need sit together — no separate lines, no visible distinction
- A menu with no prices — instead, a suggested donation of $20 for paying customers
- The opportunity to ‘Pay It Forward’ — donate extra to cover meals for neighbors who can’t
What If You Can’t Pay?
This is where the model stands apart from any restaurant you’ve ever been to. If you cannot make a donation, you are invited to volunteer — in the kitchen, in the garden, or in other support roles. Volunteering for an hour earns you a full meal. JBJ Soul Kitchen explicitly states: ‘Volunteers are guided by JBJ Soul Kitchen Staff through their tasks. Volunteering at JBJ Soul Kitchen can lead to qualifying for job training.’
The result is a restaurant where a family celebrating a birthday and a person experiencing homelessness sit in the same dining room, eat the same food, and are treated with the same warmth. Jon Bon Jovi has described the model simply: ‘at JBJ Soul Kitchen, the main ingredient is Love.’
5. How the Pay-It-Forward Model Works — In Plain English
The pay-it-forward model is elegant in its simplicity. Here’s how it functions in practice:
- A paying customer comes in for lunch or dinner. They enjoy a three-course meal and are encouraged to make a suggested $20 donation — roughly what a similar meal would cost at a casual restaurant.
- If they can afford it, they’re also asked to Pay It Forward — donate an additional amount to cover meals for guests who cannot pay. Every $20 donation covers one additional meal.
- A guest experiencing food insecurity comes in for the same meal. They’re greeted warmly, seated in the same dining room, and given a full menu. If they cannot pay, they volunteer — an hour of dishwashing, serving, or gardening — in exchange for their meal.
- The volunteer experience is not punitive. It’s structured as genuine community participation. JBJ Soul Kitchen staff train and guide volunteers, and the foundation has documented multiple cases of guests moving from volunteer status to job training and employment.
| Guest Type | What They Do | What They Receive |
| Paying customer | Suggests $20 donation; optional Pay It Forward | Full 3-course meal; community dining experience |
| Pay-It-Forward donor | Donates extra ($20 = 1 meal covered) | Satisfaction of directly feeding a neighbor |
| Volunteer guest | Volunteers 1 hour in kitchen or garden | Full 3-course meal; resource referrals; potential job training |
| Community partner | Refers clients to JBJ Soul Kitchen | Resource network; collaborative support for shared guests |
From JBJ Soul Kitchen’s official website: “At JBJ Soul Kitchen, neighbors from across the street or across town, new friends, families, those in need of help and those with help to offer, come together and share a good meal and the warmth of good company.”
6. The Asbury Park City Council Vote: What It Means
On February 11, 2026, the Asbury Park City Council voted to amend the Main Street Redevelopment Plan. This is a procedural step — but an essential one. Redevelopment plans govern land use in specific areas of a city. Without this amendment, the proposed use of the former Walgreens site as a community restaurant and food pantry may not have been permitted under existing zoning.
The vote signals official city support for the project. Kim Guadagno presented to the council, sharing the data on Mercy Center’s current impact (130,000+ people served) and the vision for the expanded site. The council’s approval removes a key regulatory hurdle and allows the partnership to move forward with construction and planning.
What Happens Next
The timeline for construction, renovation, and opening of the Asbury Park JBJ Soul Kitchen has not yet been publicly announced as of February 2026. The council vote clears the path — but the work of transforming a former pharmacy into a full-service community restaurant takes time. Watch NJ1015, The Coaster, and JBJ Soul Kitchen’s social media for updates on an expected opening date.
7. JBJ Soul Kitchen’s Network Across New Jersey
Asbury Park will be one of the most prominent additions to a network that has grown steadily since Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi opened the first location 15 years ago.
| Location | Address | Opened | Notes |
| Red Bank (flagship) | 207 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ | 2011 | Original location; celebrating 15 years in 2026; 33 seats at opening |
| Toms River (B.E.A.T. Center) | 1769 Hooper Ave, Toms River, NJ | 2016 | Part of Bringing Everyone All Together hub; permanent location |
| Rutgers University–Newark | Newark, NJ | ~2019–2021 | Addresses student food insecurity on campus |
| NJ City University (NJCU) | Jersey City, NJ | ~2020–2021 | Serves students and surrounding community |
| Toms River Pop-Up (Ocean County Library) | 101 Washington St, Toms River, NJ | Feb. 2025 | Extended through Jan. 30, 2026; served 12,500+ meals; now closed |
| Asbury Park (coming soon) | Main St & 2nd Ave, Asbury Park, NJ | TBD 2026 | Partnership with Mercy Center; third Shore town location |
8. The Toms River Controversy: A Cautionary Tale — and a Community’s Response
The Asbury Park project comes in the wake of a complicated chapter in Toms River — one that the JBJ Soul Foundation navigated with remarkable grace and that ultimately demonstrates both the model’s resilience and its community value.
What Happened in Toms River
In February 2025, JBJ Soul Kitchen opened a pop-up location inside the Ocean County Library in Toms River. The response from the community was overwhelmingly positive. Between February and November 2025, the location served 11,500 people — 76% of whom were individuals experiencing food insecurity. More than 60 housing referrals were made; several guests were placed in permanent housing. More than 207 referrals to social services providers were made in total.
But Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick was not a supporter. He dismissed the pop-up publicly as a ‘soup kitchen’ that was attracting more people experiencing homelessness to Toms River. Despite the pop-up’s documented impact, the mayor repeatedly declined to support extending the program’s tenure at the library.
The Foundation’s Response
Jon and Dorothea Bongiovi addressed the controversy directly. Speaking to CBS Mornings over the summer, they countered the mayor’s characterization and defended their model. Dorothea Bongiovi was particularly direct: JBJ Soul Kitchen is not a soup kitchen. It operates a fundamentally different model — one that requires community participation, not just charity reception.
The pop-up received a final extension through January 30, 2026. In its closing days, the community rallied. In total, the Toms River pop-up served more than 12,500 meals with 77% going to guests experiencing food insecurity.
JBJ Soul Kitchen’s New Year’s 2026 Facebook post: “In 2026, we will continue our mission to fight food insecurity and provide everyone with a nourishing, three-course meal.”
What Toms River Means for Asbury Park
Asbury Park has a very different political and community culture from Toms River. The city council’s 11-0 unanimous support of the February 11 vote signals a fundamentally more welcoming reception. The Mercy Center partnership also gives the Asbury Park project stronger roots than the library pop-up format — it will be a permanent community restaurant with dedicated space and institutional backing.
9. Jon and Dorothea Bongiovi: The People Behind the Mission
Jon Bon Jovi has been one of New Jersey’s most famous residents for four decades. Born John Francis Bongiovi Jr. in Perth Amboy in 1962, he grew up in Sayreville — the same Jersey Shore world he’s been singing about ever since. By the time Bon Jovi released ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ in 1986, the band was one of the biggest acts in the world.
But the story of JBJ Soul Kitchen isn’t really Jon’s story. It’s Dorothea’s.
Dorothea Bongiovi — née Dorothea Rose Hurley — is the founder and program director of JBJ Soul Kitchen. She and Jon grew up together in New Jersey, married in 1989 in a Las Vegas ceremony the day after Jon’s 27th birthday, and have four children together. While Jon has been the public face of the foundation’s advocacy, it is Dorothea who built the operational structure of JBJ Soul Kitchen — the menus, the volunteer programs, the community partnerships, the pay-it-forward model.
Jon Bon Jovi, speaking about the mission: “at JBJ Soul Kitchen, the main ingredient is Love.” Dorothea Bongiovi shaped that love into a replicable model that has now served hundreds of thousands of meals across New Jersey.
Together, they also founded the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates JBJ Soul Kitchen and broader affordable housing and anti-poverty initiatives. The foundation’s work extends beyond food — it has invested in transitional housing, job training, and community development across New Jersey.
10. What This Means for Asbury Park
Asbury Park is a city in transition — and has been for most of the past 30 years. The city that launched Bruce Springsteen’s career from the Stone Pony in the 1970s spent decades in economic decline. The Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre sat crumbling near the boardwalk. Redevelopment came slowly, then all at once — luxury condos along the waterfront, revitalized restaurants, a thriving arts scene, and a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ community built around the Cookman Avenue corridor.
But rapid revitalization doesn’t automatically reach everyone. Food insecurity in Asbury Park remains significant. The city’s income demographics show high rates of poverty concentrated in specific neighborhoods — often separated by just a few blocks from the coffee shops and boutiques of the revitalized downtown.
The former Walgreens at Main and Second sits at a meaningful intersection — literally and symbolically. It’s close to where the revitalized Asbury Park meets the neighborhoods that haven’t fully shared in the revival. Putting a community restaurant there, one without prices and with no visible distinction between paying and non-paying guests, is a statement about who Asbury Park is for.
Mercy Center’s current food pantry has been serving 130,000 people per year from 900 square feet. The expanded location will dramatically increase that capacity. Combined with a JBJ Soul Kitchen restaurant that provides dignified, chef-prepared meals in a beautiful setting, the project represents one of the most consequential community investments in Asbury Park in years.
11. How to Volunteer, Donate, or Dine at JBJ Soul Kitchen
If this story has moved you to get involved, here’s how to do it — right now, before the Asbury Park location opens:
Dine at an Existing Location
- Red Bank: 207 Monmouth St, Red Bank, NJ 07701 — (732) 842-0900; open Wed–Thu 5–7 PM, Fri 11:30–1:30 and 5–7 PM, Sat 5–7 PM, Sun 11:30–1:30
- Toms River (B.E.A.T. Center): 1769 Hooper Ave, Toms River, NJ 08753 — (732) 731-1414; open Tue 5–7 PM, Wed–Fri 11:30–1:30 and 5–7 PM (Fri), Sat 5–7 PM
Volunteer
Both the Red Bank and Toms River locations accept volunteers. Visit jbjsoulkitchen.org or email info@jbjsoulkitchen.org to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Volunteering typically involves kitchen work, garden care, or front-of-house serving duties. Minimum age requirements apply.
Donate
Donations can be made through jbjsoulkitchen.org. Every $20 donation covers one meal for a guest experiencing food insecurity. Larger donations support the volunteer programs, job training initiatives, and kitchen operations.
Follow for Asbury Park Updates
The Asbury Park JBJ Soul Kitchen has no confirmed opening date as of February 2026. Follow @jbjsoulkitchen on Instagram and jbjsoulkitchen.org for updates on the Asbury Park project timeline.
12. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where will JBJ Soul Kitchen open in Asbury Park?
JBJ Soul Kitchen will open in the former Walgreens building at the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The location was approved by the Asbury Park City Council on February 11, 2026, when the council voted to amend the Main Street Redevelopment Plan to allow the project to move forward.
What is the pay-it-forward model at JBJ Soul Kitchen?
At JBJ Soul Kitchen, there are no prices on the menu. Paying customers are asked to make a suggested $20 donation for their three-course meal and are encouraged to donate extra to ‘Pay It Forward’ — covering meals for guests who cannot pay. Guests who cannot make a donation are invited to volunteer for one hour (kitchen, garden, or serving work) in exchange for their meal. All guests eat the same food in the same dining room.
What is Mercy Center and why is it part of this project?
Mercy Center is a Asbury Park nonprofit that operates a food pantry and social services programs. Led by Kim Guadagno — a former New Jersey Lieutenant Governor — Mercy Center currently serves more than 130,000 people per year from a 900-square-foot space. The former Walgreens building will allow Mercy Center to dramatically expand its food pantry operations, with the JBJ Soul Kitchen restaurant occupying the front of the building.
Who founded JBJ Soul Kitchen?
JBJ Soul Kitchen was founded by Jon Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea Bongiovi. Dorothea is the founder and program director who built the operational model, volunteer programs, and community partnerships. The organization is a project of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Red Bank flagship opened in 2011 with 33 seats and is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2026.
How many JBJ Soul Kitchen locations are there?
As of 2026, JBJ Soul Kitchen operates at five locations across New Jersey: Red Bank (flagship, since 2011), Toms River/B.E.A.T. Center (since 2016), Rutgers University–Newark, New Jersey City University (NJCU), and a recently closed pop-up at the Ocean County Library in Toms River that served 12,500+ meals before closing January 30, 2026. Asbury Park will be the next permanent addition.
When does the Asbury Park JBJ Soul Kitchen open?
An official opening date has not been publicly announced as of February 2026. The Asbury Park City Council approved the necessary zoning amendment on February 11, 2026, clearing the path for the project. Construction and renovation of the former Walgreens building are expected to follow. Monitor jbjsoulkitchen.org and NJ1015 for the announcement.
What happened with the Toms River pop-up?
JBJ Soul Kitchen operated a pop-up location at the Ocean County Library in Toms River from February 2025 through January 30, 2026. The pop-up served more than 12,500 meals — 77% to guests experiencing food insecurity — and provided over 207 referrals to social service providers. Despite widespread community support, Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick opposed the program, and organizers were unable to secure approval for a permanent location.
Is JBJ Soul Kitchen a soup kitchen?
No. JBJ Soul Kitchen explicitly distinguishes itself from a traditional soup kitchen. It operates as a full-service community restaurant with chef-prepared three-course meals, a warm dining room, no visible distinction between paying customers and guests in need, and a volunteer program that provides dignity and opportunity alongside food. The foundation’s official language: ‘JBJ Soul Kitchen is not a soup kitchen or a pay-what-you-want restaurant, but a place where guests enjoy healthy, chef-prepared meals for a suggested donation or by volunteering.’
13. Key Takeaways
- JBJ Soul Kitchen — the pay-it-forward nonprofit community restaurant founded by Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Bongiovi — is opening a new location in Asbury Park, NJ.
- The location will be the former Walgreens at the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue, which has sat vacant since the pharmacy chain’s closure.
- The project is a partnership with Mercy Center, whose current food pantry serves 130,000+ people per year from just 900 square feet. The new building dramatically expands that capacity.
- The Asbury Park City Council voted unanimously on February 11, 2026, to amend the Main Street Redevelopment Plan to allow the project to proceed.
- Mercy Center is led by Kim Guadagno, former Lt. Governor of New Jersey.
- JBJ Soul Kitchen’s model: no prices on the menu, $20 suggested donation, Pay It Forward donations cover guests in need, and volunteering earns a full three-course meal.
- The Red Bank flagship celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2026. The Asbury Park location will be the third Shore town to host a JBJ Soul Kitchen.
- Dorothea Bongiovi — founder and program director — built the model that has served hundreds of thousands of meals across New Jersey since 2011.
- An opening date for the Asbury Park location has not yet been confirmed. Follow jbjsoulkitchen.org for updates.
What to Read Next
- JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank: A Complete Guide to Visiting, Volunteering, and Donating
- How the Pay-It-Forward Restaurant Model Is Changing Community Dining Across America
- Mercy Center Asbury Park: What It Does and How to Help
- Asbury Park’s Most Meaningful Transformation: The Community Projects Redefining the City
- Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation: Beyond the Music, the Mission That Feeds New Jersey
Sources
- NJ1015: ‘New JBJ Soul Kitchen and Mercy Center planned in Asbury Park’ (February 16, 2026)
- The Coaster (Asbury Park): First to report the February 11 City Council vote (February 12, 2026)
- The Jersey Shore Girl: ‘Bon Jovi’s JBJ Soul Kitchen Toms River Pop-up Closing 1/30’ (January 2026)
- NJ1015: ‘JBJ Soul Kitchen pop-up is wrapping up after serving thousands of meals’ (January 2026)
- JBJ Soul Kitchen official website: jbjsoulkitchen.org — model description, location info, volunteer opportunities
- Explore New Jersey: JBJ Soul Kitchen network overview and Toms River controversy context (October 2025)
- Yelp: JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank and Toms River — hours and operational details
| About This Article
This article was researched using reporting from NJ1015 (primary source for the Asbury Park announcement), The Coaster, The Jersey Shore Girl, Explore New Jersey, the official JBJ Soul Kitchen website (jbjsoulkitchen.org), and Yelp location data for operational hours and addresses. All confirmed facts — including the February 11, 2026 City Council vote, the former Walgreens address, Kim Guadagno’s role, and Toms River meal statistics — are sourced from named publications. The Asbury Park opening date is not yet confirmed as of publication; readers should check jbjsoulkitchen.org for updates. Last updated: February 19, 2026. |
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