Bon Jovi Makes Surprise Visit At Sayreville Cafe Staffed By Teens With Special Needs

SAYREVILLE, NJ — On Monday, the teenagers who work at the Bombers Beyond cafe in Sayreville got a very special surprise, when rocker Jon Bon Jovi popped in for a surprise visit.

The cafe is located on Main Street in Sayreville, and it employs local teenagers and young people with special needs. Bon Jovi came in with his wife Dorothea, and his visit was a total surprise, said Caileigh Fazzini, Alyssa Garnett and Andrew Vanderbeck, the three adults who run the cafe.

Bon Jovi grew up in Sayreville and he graduated from Sayreville War Memorial High School, class of 1980. Sayreville is also where his band was formed in the early '80s. Although he now lives in an estate in the Locust Point area of Middletown, just down the street from Gov. Phil Murphy, the rocker is known to sometimes return to the Sayreville stomping grounds where he grew up.

"Overall, they were very excited to meet him," said Fazzini. "Many of the students knew who he was — but not all — and are familiar with his music."

Bon Jovi is known as a hometown hero in Sayreville, she said. The performing arts center at Sayreville War Memorial High School is named the "Jon Bon Jovi Performing Arts Center," due to donations he made to the school, and he also donated a state-of-the-art recording studio to the high school. The Bombers Beyond cafe (named for the high school mascot the Bombers) even sells t-shirts and sweatshirts with his name on them.

"Earlier that morning, we had a student folding some of his apparel in our Bomber Shop and said, 'Wouldn't it be amazing if one day we could meet Bon Jovi?!' Not knowing that later that same morning, he would be given that opportunity," said Fazzini. "Thank you, Jon, for taking the time to connect and support our crew — your hometown pride truly shines."

She said Bon Jovi chatted with all the teens and asked them about themselves.

"What made it even more special was that he took the time to talk to each one of them and asked the employees about their jobs and what they enjoyed about them," she said. "He was able to make it about them and make them feel special. As one of our followers (on Facebook) said, 'How exciting for everyone ... especially Bon Jovi. He's the one meeting true celebrities.'"