NYC restaurant owner fleeing to Florida amid COVID says 'it's open and businesses are surviving'
Florida's looser coronavirus restrictions are appealing to restaurateurs and small businesses, Kissaki Sushi owner Garry Kanfer said
Kissaki Sushi owner Garry Kanfer discusses why he decided to open a new restaurant in Miami, explaining that he 'did not agree' with New York's coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
A New York City restaurateur said Friday that Florida's looser COVID-19 dining restrictions have drawn him to Miami to open a new restaurant.
Garry Kanfer, owner of Kissaki Sushi, told FOX Business' "Varney & Co." that he plans to make Miami his first home thanks to the local government's decision to open indoor dining sooner than New York.
"It's open and businesses are surviving," Kanfer told guest host David Asman. "Miami has become more appealing for restaurateurs and small businesses like myself and my team."
Kanfer explained that while New York will always be his home, the state's second lockdown was a decision he did not agree with.
"I think the infection rate in restaurants at that time in New York were under 1.5%... we need to help small businesses survive and get back to... where New York used to be," he said.
Home Depot Co-Founder Ken Langone applauds Gov. DeSantis for his handling of the coronavirus, bringing in new industries to the state and boosting the economy.
Home sales have doubled in some parts of Florida with the state bringing 950 new residents in per day, according to a report by The New York Times.
Former New York Stock Exchange Chairman Dick Grasso attributed the max exodus to the Sunshine State to financial incentives amid the coronavirus pandemic during a January 14 appearance on "Mornings with Maria."
"It's heartbreaking to see what's happened to New York City in particular," Florida resident Grasso told Maria Bartiromo.
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Kanfer remains optimistic that one day New York will return to normal.
"New York will always be New York," he said.
FOX Business' Nikolas Lanum, Audrey Conklin, and Caleb Parke contributed to this report.