“Outrageous Clash: Jon Bon Jovi’s Mission to Feed New Jersey’s Homeless Faces Unexpected Threat—Mayor’s Shocking Plan to Shut Down Beloved Community Restaurant Sparks Controversy. Discover the Hidden Motives and Unseen Battle Behind This Heartbreaking Decision Affecting Thousands in Need!”

Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick had some choice words for the star’s JBJ Soul Kitchen pop-up that opened in February.

A New Jersey mayor has some harsh words for Jon Bon Jovi’s charitable initiative.

The rock band frontman, 63, and his wife, Dorothea, launched the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation together back in 2006, with the goal of ending hunger and homelessness.

In their pursuit of the altruistic mission, the couple opened the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a New Jersey-based nonprofit restaurant that has a pay-it-forward model to accommodate all socioeconomic backgrounds.

As stated on its official website, “It is not a pay-what-you-want model or a soup kitchen,” as customers pay for their meals (the suggested price is $12) and are given the opportunity to pay for someone else’s meal, assisting those who can’t pay and instead volunteered their time.

John W. Ferguson/Getty; Toms River Township Government/Facebook

The first restaurant opened in 2011 in Red Bank and then expanded to Toms River, Newark (a permanent location in Rutgers University) and Jersey City (a permanent location in New Jersey City University).

In February, per CBS News, the restaurant opened a temporary pop-up location stationed inside Tom River’s Ocean County Library, which is set to shut down in May. And while most residents praise the star’s commitment to and care of the Jersey communities, Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick has a different opinion on the set-up.

The mayor reportedly believes the restaurant is driving up the homeless population in the town by encouraging unhoused individuals across New Jersey, and even neighboring states, to congregate around the eatery.

According to NJ Advance Media, Rodrick stated, “If they’re going to turn this into a homeless shelter, hell, cut everybody a check and give them a Barnes and Noble gift card.”

JBJ Soul Kitchen guidelines.John W. Ferguson/Getty

“I definitely want it gone,” the mayor continued. “We certainly don’t think that the library is a good place. The issue was never Bon Jovi. It was [the] Ocean County Board of Commissioners who engaged with these nonprofits.”

Though the mayor also called the pop-up “a real safety concern,” Ocean County Commissioner Robert Arace pushed back against the mayor’s claims that any alarming incidents have occurred because of the JBJ Soul Kitchen.

“He’s saying that incidents have increased?” Arace questioned. “We have data that they have not increased. It is not a soup kitchen.”

Mayor Daniel Rodrick and The Ocean County Board of Commissioners both did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Jon Bon Jovi.Lester Cohen/Getty

To date, JBJ Soul Kitchen has served over 208,000 meals, with 59 percent of the meals earned through customers volunteering and 41 percent paid with donations, per its official website.

Despite the mayor’s sentiments, the JBJ Soul Foundation and the JBJ Soul Kitchen are beloved by notable names and A-list stars.

Back in 2016, during the 10th anniversary of the foundation, former President Bill Clinton praised the eatery and the singer’s efforts to combat food insecurity.

“I came here to add my voice of thanks to Jon and Dorothea, who house the homeless and feed the hungry. And remind us all that underneath our differences, we’re not so different after all,” said the 42nd president. “If you have not eaten there, you ought to treat yourself.”

In 2020, Bon Jovi opened up about their philanthropic efforts, telling PEOPLE, “If we could put a roof over someone’s head or put food in their belly, it’s quite simple: We don’t need a scientist to find the cure.”

The JBJ Soul Kitchen and a rep for Bon Jovi did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.