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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nPeter Garces opened By the Chef Pizza eight months ago. The pizzeria offers New York-style pizza, something the Brooklyn native says Lakeland was missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m actually a chef, that\u2019s why By the Chef. I just personally love pizza so what we do here is we approach pizza from a chef aspect. We’re not a regular pizzeria; we\u2019re a specialty. We do very different pizzas. Very different toppings,\u201d Garces said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Garces moved to Lakeland in 2023, joining his parents, after seeing how fast the city was growing. His business is booming, with many of his customers originally from up north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m noticing the growth and the influx of people from different states and what states they\u2019re coming from. A lot of people from New York and this is New York pizza, so it all works out,\u201d Garces said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An influx of new businesses is contributing to Lakeland being one of the biggest boomtowns in the country. A new study by LendingTree ranks Lakeland as the eighth fastest-growing U.S. metro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report ranked rapidly growing cities by looking at people and housing, work and earnings, and business and economy. The study found that Lakeland saw a 15% workforce increase from 2021 to 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe major investor, employment growth is in healthcare, manufacturing and distribution. We also have the small businesses that we are working very hard to cultivate,\u201d said Brian Rewis, Lakeland\u2019s director of community and economic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Lakeland city leaders said with rapid growth comes growing pains, including transportation, wastewater and housing needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a challenge but it\u2019s a welcomed challenge because people are choosing to make Lakeland home and invest in our larger community,\u201d Rewis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Including small business owners like Garces, helping to make Lakeland a boomtown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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