The Westport couple recently opened Green Jar Catering at 609 Locust St. not far from Ruggles Park.
Jay, a Fall River fire captain, and Carla, a 20-year veteran of the restaurant industry, said they bought the small building last November more than half a year after the Your Way breakfast and lunch restaurant, in the former Manila Jade, closed.
When they first came inside to look the place over a newspaper dated March 15 was lying on the counter.
The front-page story was about Gov. Charlie Baker ordering all restaurants and bars to close for at least three weeks, as a means of controlling the spread of COVID-19.