The basics:

• Belmont Tavern in Essex County appears on Jonas Brothers‘ new album cover
• Iconic Italian restaurant and local favorite opened in 1967
• Eatery says Jo Bros are regulars at the restaurant
• New release “Greetings From Your Hometown” framed as honorings NJ roots

The Jonas Brothers are celebrating their New Jersey roots by featuring a popular Essex County Italian restaurant on the cover of their newest studio release.

Belmont Tavern in Belleville announced in a social media post that its dining room served as the setting for the photograph of Wyckoff natives Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas.

Founded in 1967, the Bloomfield Avenue eatery prides itself on its “classic, old-school Jersey Italian experience, complete with red pleather chairs and Italian memorabilia adorning the walls.” The second generation-run, women-owned restaurant believes its dive-y, casual atmosphere transplants guests “to a bygone era of traditional Italian cuisine.”

Belmont Tavern’s walls also feature pictures of the many celebrities who have walked through its doors over the past five decades. Icons include the late Connie Francis, former New York Giants player Tiki Barber, musical group and Newark natives The Four Seasons, and actor-director Clint Eastwood.

According to Belmont Tavern, the Jonas Brothers are regulars at the restaurant.

The eatery said the group typically orders the “savoy and beeps” – aka chicken savoy and fried shrimp in a Fra Diavolo sauce. Back in April, the restaurant was one of several North Jersey spots the band checked out forpromotional pictures ahead of the new album drop, hyperlocal news site Montclair Girl reported.

Coming home

When the Jonas Brothers teased cover art for the release in late May, they spoke about wanting to pay homage to their experiences growing up in New Jersey.

“We walked the streets we grew up on, visited the exact places where we sat while dreaming up what this band could be and felt that deep pull of where it all began,” the trio said. “There’s something about being home that reminds you who you are. This album is filled with pieces of that, lifelong influences from our childhood and the sounds that we grew up on.”

The Aug. 8 release of “Greetings From Your Hometown” marks the group’s seventh album. It dropped two days before the Jonas Brothers kicked off their 20th anniversary tour at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

 

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In a recent interview with Ticketmaster, Nick Jonas described the record as “a love letter to our roots musically and to our home state of New Jersey.”

“There’s a heavy influence of Bruce Springsteen and storytelling behind some of the greats from the state. But also, it’s just about coming back to those roots. We are a family at our core, more than a band or anything else. Any time we come back to that feeling of playing music in our living room in Jersey, it’s a great feeling,” he shared.

Fan fest

After getting their start in Disney Channel movies, the Jonas Brothers went on to become one of the biggest musical acts in the world. The Grammy Award-winning artists took a hiatus in 2013 before getting back together six years later.

Over the past few months, the Jonas Brothers have celebrated fans who have been with them since the beginning. Besides hosting a free event at American Dream in March, they also teamed up with Friendly’s Ice Cream. The latter collaboration produced a limited-time treat featuring three flavors that reflect each brother’s personal taste.

The band also did a surprise 50-minute pop-up concert last week on New York City’s East River Ferry. The event celebrated the launch of an exclusive tour livestream partnership with Samsung TV Plus, too.

Later this year, the Jonas Brothers are scheduled for official induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.