Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation opens restaurant on Rutgers Newark campus

Students at Rutgers Newark have a new option for dining on campus: JBJ Soul Kitchen, part of Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley's effort to bring affordable meals to those in need.

News 12 Staff

Jan 22, 2020, 9:38 PM

Updated 1,882 days ago

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Students at Rutgers Newark have a new option for dining on campus: JBJ Soul Kitchen, part of Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley's effort to bring affordable meals to those in need.
The JBJ Soul Kitchen model is built around a three-course, sit-down, restaurant-style meal with a $12 price tag. Those who cannot afford to pay have the option to work at the restaurant in exchange for food.
"This is a way you can stretch your budget," says Dorothea Hurley, who is married to Bon Jovi. "You can come to the Soul Kitchen, eat and then have a little more disposable income."
This location, in the Robeson Campus Center, is the third Soul Food Kitchen and the first on a college campus. In partnership with campus food provider Gourmet Dining, the Newark venue is open on weekdays.
Studies have found 1 in 3 college students experiences food insecurity. Student Brian Ray says he was one of them.
"You don't want to, in some cases like myself, have to reach out to folks especially at home and ask for a helping hand," Ray says.