ROCKPORT — They say timing is everything. For Patrick Duffy, an executive chef and Jessica Duffy, a seasoned server and restaurant manager, the time seemed right to open their first restaurant together once they learned that Shepherd’s Pie in Rockport was closing for good this past May.

“We’d thought about opening a restaurant before, so when this space became available, we literally had days to decide,” said Jessica.

It so happened that the pair had moved from Boston in 2011 to run Shepherd’s Pie before it closed so they had an inside track.

“We always visited this particular raw bar in Boston, so we thought it was a great idea to have one here,” said Patrick.

Jessica, a a Maine native added, “Since, we moved back, we realized there was a niche to be filled with a raw bar.”

It’s not just their first restaurant together, it’s their first time working together.

Asked what their working style is they both turned to each other and said “We’ll find out.”

18 Central will also feature grilled seafood and steaks and a daily selection of raw and chilled seafood from Maine and away with specialty Mignonettes and sauces.

Entrees will range from scallops and pork belly and Berkshire pork steak to fried chicken and heirloom grits.

Jessica and Patrick met in college at UMass Amherst in the 1990s. After going their separate ways for a bit with Patrick getting his formal training at NECI, they eventually reconnected and settled in Boston. While Jessica parlayed her bartending and serving skills into positions as an event coordinator and manager of a number of Massachusetts restaurants, Patrick worked his way up from fry cook to executive chef in Northampton, Martha’s Vineyard and Boston.

They moved back to raise a family. Their Children are three years old and 19 months old.

“This is our third baby,” Patrick joked, patting the raw bar.

Beyond putting in a new raw bar, which will be glass encased, they have been doing renovations since May, including constructing a new harbor-view patio with additional seating for 24 people, removing sheet rock to reveal weathered brickwork and adding several doors, including a front entrance with oversized double doors.

“We also added more pendant lighting over the bar because people were always saying it was too dark in here,” said Jessica.

The Duffys are still renovating and getting the front of the house operations up to speed but plan to open for the weekend of July 7. Stay tuned to their progress and for the official opening announcement on their Facebook page.