WILLIAMSTOWN — Steve and Monica Lawrence marked the 20th anniversary of their well-known Williamstown restaurant, the Spice Root on Spring Street, by purchasing another.

The couple now runs the Chef’s Hat, at 905 Simonds Road, and promise to leave it largely unchanged, to the relief of staff and regular customers.

Upon the closing of the sale this month, the Lawrences say they knew the staff at the Chef’s Hat would wonder whether they would keep their jobs. The new owners made a point to let them know that the menu would remain, as would all the staff.

Mind you, with upgrades made to the building and appliances, and other items replaced, such as plates and flatware.

“We are not just owners, we are part of the team,” said Steve Lawrence. “You have to support each other — we’re not here just to make money, we’re here to create community.”

Fans of the Chef’s Hat needn’t worry about major changes, says Monica Lawrence. “We don’t want to change it because there are so many people with memories of this place, and some of them have been coming here since they were young,” she said.

Steve Lawrence’s father is a chef in India. Monica’s father is a food inspector in India. They feel they were meant to be in the restaurant business.

And they welcome the idea of running two restaurants with widely different cuisines: Spice Root features Indian dishes, while the Chef’s Hat is mainly a diner featuring traditional American meals.

“As a chef,” said Steve Lawrence, “I like to work with different palates, different spice groups.”

The couple says they enjoy the restaurant business mostly because they get to meet people and make friends.

“This is my passion, my whole life,” Steve Lawrence said.

“He really is a people person,” said Monica Lawrence. “We both are.”

The couple bought the Chef’s Hat for $165,000 from previous owner Dave Rock. They plan on investing more than $100,000 in the building and equipment over several phases.

The building has housed food service businesses for years, including an ice cream shop and the Star Diner. It has been the Chef’s Hat for about 14 years.

“We are local people, we have many friends here,” Monica Lawrence said. “And we are happy to accommodate all kinds of people. Everyone should feel like this is their place.”

The Lawrences plan an opening party from noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 6 featuring free hot dogs and burgers and ice cream.

“We’re doing this to say thank you to the community,” said Steve Lawrence. “This isn’t our restaurant. It is the community’s restaurant.”