Roma Duff relies on a decades-old pit.[/caption]

After more than 40 years on Burnet Road, The Pit Barbecue owner Roma Duff is watching the scenery outside her restaurant evolve.

Although the added density of new apartment complexes has brought The Pit Barbeque more customers, more businesses along the strip make it hard for those customers to find a parking spot, Duff said.

"The parking is horrendous because they let people build things and never have enough parking," Duff said. "But people find a parking place eventually. Sometimes I dont know where theyre parking at. I wonder if theyre parking on top of each other."

Since new neighbors Fork + Taco and Noble Sandwich Co. have opened next door to the adjacent Pinthouse Pizza, Duff said she has tried posting where her customers can park and even hired a towing service to ensure her customers have spaces to park.

"We try to keep the nine places around the side and the front. We've been having to boot people and everything else to keep them out of those spots because they just drive up and park," Duff said.

Duff said the towing service she hired watches for motorists who use The Pit's parking spots to walk to another business. Duff said she is optimistic more evening parking will soon be made available from a church parking lot behind her business, but she admits the added capacity will not help to the extent needed.

Even though everything around the The Pit Barbeque is changing, Duff said the longtime restaurant has no plans to change its traditional menu.

"We've got customers coming in all the time that say, 'Oh, don't sell out to these developers,'" she said.