A Bridgeport restaurant marked a milestone Wednesday after being forced to close just days after its grand opening.

Uncle Joe's serves soul food with a Jamaican flair, with everything from barbecue jerk chicken to rice and beans.

Taliaferro Jones says he and his business partner had just bought the restaurant when the coronavirus pandemic hit and shut them down days after their ribbon cutting.

Now, sit-down customers, who make up most of their business, are slowly coming back as Phase 2 gets off the ground.

The owners say Phase 2 is coming not a moment too soon. They say at the height of the crisis, when they were barely staying afloat on takeout orders, the future seemed uncertain and they had their doubts.

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim spent the day urging the public to help business owners like Jones by dining out.