The co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen has said the state has become too difficult for entrepreneurs, indicating he would choose to open a new restaurant in Florida rather than California today. His comments add a prominent business voice to an ongoing narrative about companies and wealthy individuals relocating away from California, framed as a response to the state's regulatory and tax environment under Democratic leadership.

The remarks align with commentary from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has pointed to his state's lack of income tax and business-friendly policies as reasons it has become a magnet for wealth, companies and tech founders, contrasting this with what he called the "destructive policies" of states such as California. The article situates the founder's comments within a broader Fox News narrative on wealth and business migration from high-tax, Democratic-led states to Florida.