Pop-up JBJ Soul Kitchen in Tom's River, N.J. will shut down at the end of the month

The pop-up JBJ Soul Kitchen at the Ocean County Library in Toms River, N.J. will shut down at the end of the month. 

The nonprofit community restaurant, a charitable effort created by rocker Jon Bon Jovi and his wife, serves those in need. The temporary pop-up kitchen opened in February of last year in the Ocean County Library. 

Those who can't afford to pay for meals there can instead volunteer their time. Those who can afford to pay are encouraged to "pay it forward" for the next patron. 

Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick previously said he wanted the pop-up gone, however, because it was making his township a haven for homeless people. He didn't blame Bon Jovi or his wife, but claimed unhoused people were being brought there by nonprofits from across the area. Ocean County Commissioner Robert Arace disputed that, saying the county wasn't busing anyone to Toms River.

JBJ Soul Kitchen said the pop-up location served more than 15,870 meals since it opened, and welcomed more than 1,000 volunteers who put in nearly 4,000 of service. JBJ Soul Foundation said the pop-up resulted in 13 successful housing placements and nine people gaining jobs. 

"During our time in the space, it quickly became clear there was a strong need for access to healthy, nutritious meals, along with additional community resources," said assistant general manager Rob Wood. "Because of that, we worked to keep the operation running as long as possible. We were grateful to continue our mission past the end of this year's Code Blue season, and we thank everyone who came out to support us while we were able to serve." 

"I want to thank the community of downtown Toms River for embracing our Soul Kitchen model." said Dorothea Bongiovi, founder of JBJ Soul Kitchen. "The outpouring of encouragement and support has been incredibly humbling. I am also grateful for the opportunity to work with the so many dedicated non-profits. Your commitment and tenacity coupled with compassion, are an inspiration. Together, we focused on building meaningful, lasting solutions rather than temporary fixes. And if, at the end of the day, we were able to treat our neighbors with a little more kindness, dignity, and respect, that in itself is powerful."   

Additional JBJ Soul Kitchen locations in Red Bank, Newark, Jersey City, and another in Toms River, will continue to operate as normal.