Reopening California: Governor Gavin Newsom meets with Oakland restaurant owners

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Tuesday afternoon California Governor Gavin Newsom strolled into Miss Ollie's Caribbean restaurant in downtown Oakland for a face-to-face meeting with minority business owners, who are facing obstacles as they gear up for reopening.

"It's very interesting listening to business owners conflicted over 'I'm desperate to re-open my business but I'm also desperate to keep myself, my family, my customers and my employees safe and healthy,'" Newsom said.

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Governor Newsom says the business owners told him they are feeling pressure as other parts of the state re-open, and expressed the feeling of "we are lagging behind, that's an additional anxiety."

The owner of Miss Ollie's was pleased the governor came by. She said her landlord was offering to defer some of her rent payments, which will likely keep her afloat.

The goal is to keep businesses open.

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The governor emphasized that as the dust settles in the next six months, he doesn't want to see businesses close permanently, in the end affecting quality of life in communities like Oakland.

Some of those listening into the meeting suggested that the state could do more by deferring fees and taxes, to which Governor Newsom said he'd be pushing for more federal assistance.

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Reopening California: Gavin Newsom meets with Oakland restaurant owners