Gary Burns: "She put my family first"

“Mayor Annise Parker helped my family stay in business—and create 19 jobs.

She put my family first.”

- Gary Burns, Second generation pit master, Burns Old Fashioned Pit BBQ

“Our family tradition — Burns Old Fashioned Pit Bar-B-Q — extends for over 33 years. Building on a solid foundation established by my father, the legendary Roy Burns, I’ve worked to grow the once take-out-only establishment into a full-service restaurant and catering operation on Antoine Drive — an area in northwest Houston targeted for economic redevelopment. After my father passed in 2009, I wanted to continue practicing the traditional pit-style barbeque by opening a new restaurant. But with the economic slump, the banks just weren’t lending.

That’s when Houston Small Business Development, Inc.— a non-profit working closely with Mayor Annise Parker to help small businesses — gave us the loan we needed for start-up capital and equipment for our new location.

We’ve been open less than six months and we’ve already created 19 jobs— and we’re continuing to build a strong economic future for our associates and our family.”

Mayor Parker’s Jobs Plan

Mayor Annise Parker is working every day to create good, local jobs and strengthen our economy by:

** Implementing Hire Houston First, a commonsense law to hire Houston companies and workers first on city projects.
** Attracting new aerospace and high-tech companies to Houston by marketing the expertise of ex-NASA employees who are now looking for work.
** Organizing a small business summit that brings together business, education and community leaders to develop an action plan.
** Bringing new businesses to Houston by keeping taxes low and offering incentives to create good jobs and job-training programs for Houston families.
** Recruiting growth industries like clean energy and biomedical to Houston by working closely with the Greater Houston Partnership and local chambers of commerce.