MIRAMAR, Fla. – The Miramar barbershop that had defiantly opened during stay-at-home orders has now shut down.

Miramar police arrived Wednesday at Lion Style Barbershop & Salon on State Road 7 and threatened to fine every barber working.

Daniel Liriano, the owner of the business, said he was willing to pay fines for operating a non-essential business, but he decided to close because he didn’t want his employees to be affected.

“They said they were going to fine my guys, too,” Liriano said. “I’m not going to hurt my crew, so I guess we’re going to shut it down.”

Liriano he reopened his doors Tuesday after weeks of being shut down. On Wednesday morning, customer after customer came in to get their hair cut.

Liriano said he made the decision to go against stay-at-home orders because he and his staff were desperate to earn money to pay rent and bills.

“I received no stimulus,” Liriano said. “We didn’t get no unemployment, so basically, we’re just starving.”

Code enforcement had handed him a $65 fine Tuesday and said the fines would go up daily.

Gov. Ron DeSantis launched Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plan on Monday, but Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties have had to wait longer to begin opening non-essential businesses because of the high concentration of COVID-19 cases in South Florida.

Liriano said he now plans to keep the doors of his business shut until the state allows him to reopen.

To reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission, every customer at Liriano’s shop was getting their temperature taken and their hands spritzed with sanitizer. Barbers were spaced more than six feet apart. And a team of professionals is cleaning the shop.

“This man’s a local hero and deserves business for going against the grain and providing what I think is a necessary service,” customer Darcy Penichet said.

Customers like Penichet, a middle school teacher, said they accepted the risk of going to the shop amid the pandemic.

“I’m willing to take that chance because you take a chance every day,” he said. “I could get hit by a car walking across the street. People get hit by meteorites. A lady just got killed by an alligator.”

Local 10 News spoke Tuesday with the owner of a Miami Beach salon that is following the rules and remaining shut. Lymari Veloz, who owns Beach Hair Salon, fears that many others in the beauty industry are starting to open shop, dangerously on the down-low.

“It’s very frustrating when you go around and you see that others are not following the rules,” she said. “A lot of people are doing it.”

While he’s now shut down, Liriano said he feels this ordeal has been worth it because he and his fellow business owners were heard about their financial struggle during this pandemic.