Morris County restaurant launches fundraiser in effort to reopen after customers call for its return
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — Roasted Breadfruit Smokehouse and Grill, located at 400 Route 15, is looking to make a comeback after nearly 200 customers reached out following the Jefferson Township restaurant’s closure, according to a GoFundMe launched by its owners.
The owners said they believed closing the Smokehouse marked the end of the restaurant’s story. That changed after messages, phone calls and comments began arriving from customers asking them to return.
“Please come back.”
According to the fundraiser, nearly 200 people contacted the owners, including customers who had celebrated weddings, birthdays and anniversaries at the restaurant and families who had made its food part of their regular routines.
“You made us realize that maybe our story isn’t finished yet,” the owners wrote. “So we’re trying.”
The owners are now seeking to raise $25,000 toward reopening Roasted Breadfruit Smokehouse and Grill in a smaller and more manageable location with an efficient kitchen and lower overhead.
“Our goal is to bring the Smokehouse back smaller, smarter and stronger—with a more manageable location, an efficient kitchen, lower overhead and the same food and love our community has supported for years,” the fundraiser states.
Money raised would go toward a security deposit and initial lease costs, kitchen construction and equipment, permits and inspections, licensing, food and supplies, signage, reopening expenses and initial staffing and operating reserves.
The owners cautioned that the $25,000 fundraising goal may not cover the entire cost of reopening. Final expenses will depend on factors including the location, required kitchen work and equipment.
If more money is necessary, the owners said they would consider merchandise and pre-opening sales, landlord contributions and additional fundraising.
“We will not take on an unaffordable location or unsustainable debt simply because funds have been raised,” the owners wrote. “We want to come back—but we want to come back in a way that gives us a real chance to stay.”
The fundraiser also makes clear that reopening is not guaranteed. If reopening ultimately proves not reasonably possible, the owners said they would stop spending campaign funds and update supporters about what happened and how the money was used.
“We are asking you to help us try—not promising an outcome we cannot guarantee. What we can promise is transparency and responsible use of your support.”
The owners said the restaurant had grown to mean more to them than serving food, recalling the weddings, birthdays, graduations and other milestones they shared with customers over the years.
“When we thought it was over, you reminded us how much this little restaurant meant to our community,” the owners wrote.
Those interested in donating or supporting the effort to reopen Roasted Breadfruit Smokehouse and Grill can visit the restaurant’s GoFundMe campaign.
