A new study ranks Lakeland as one of the biggest boomtowns in the United States.
Peter Garces opened By the Chef Pizza eight months ago. The pizzeria offers New York-style pizza, something the Brooklyn native says Lakeland was missing.
“I’m actually a chef, that’s 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’re a specialty. We do very different pizzas. Very different toppings,” Garces said.
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…