Daytona Beach restaurant owners fear another shutdown as COVID-19 cases climb

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - As COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to climb in the state, Daytona Beach restaurant owners say they're worried about another shutdown. 

The owner of Burgey's Tiki Hut is one of many businesses that are worried about another shutdown in the state. Florida bars were ordered to close for a second time three weeks ago. 

"It’s been on my mind ever since we opened back up. That it could happen again," said the owner of Burgey's Tiki Hut Tom Burgess. "Obviously everyone is going through uncharted waters with this and at this stage in the game, expect the worst."

RELATED: Daytona Beach to begin enforcing mask mandate with fines for violators

A mask mandate went into place in Daytona Beach on June 26. Many shops and restaurants have signs on their doors telling people they cannot come inside without a mask. City leaders are asking people to do their part. 

RELATED: DeSantis: 30,000 vials of remdesivir headed to Florida hospitals

"I don’t like wearing these things any more than anyone else, but it’s the right thing to do and it helps businesses stay open," the Chairman Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce Robert Lloyd said. "If we don’t wear the masks, if we don’t back up and observe social distancing and if we don’t wash up, and try to curtail this virus ourselves and the inevitable thing is that we’ll have a second shut down." 
 
Despite calls to shut down the state, Governor DeSantis has previously said that is not going to happen. However, business owners say they're bracing for it. 

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"No one knows what to expect so we always take to the point that we are going to prepare for the worst and make the best of what we can," Burgess said.