FRANKFORT, Ky. — New parking regulations are coming to downtown Frankfort and Main Street Diner is one business preparing for the changes.

Every day around the clock, Main Street serves food with a 1950s theme. 

Jacob Allan, Megan Allan, Megan Farney, and John Moschella run the West Main Street eatery. The building has been there for nearly 30 years before becoming to Main Street Diner four years ago. 

Jacob Allan, who has owned several businesses for over 10 years, says, for some time, parking near the area and especially on the weekends has been pretty simple.

“The parking is wide open outside beside the people that live here. They’re the only ones that’s parked outside. Other than that, it’s wide open.” Allan said.

Jacob Allan is one of four of Main Street Diner is located at the end of West main street in downtown Frankfort. Jacob Allan is one of the owners (Spectrum News 1/Sabriel Metcalf) Mainstreet diners owners. (Spectrum News 1/Sabriel Metcalf)

Most streets in the central business district like Broadway, Main, and St. Clair will limit free parking to two hours.

The two-hour limit is in effect Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Frankfort’s board of commissioners says the limit encourages turnover of spaces to support business.

“You’re going to end up with judges with maybe their car booted, who knows?” Allan said.

The city says if you have three unpaid parking citations, they could tow your car.

Main Street Diner sits at the center of the changes.

“I don’t believe it’s gonna affect our weekends,” Allan said, about whether it will have a major impact right off. “I don’t believe it will just be our weekdays. It will continue. Just until the new parking thing, until people learn the new parking thing, it will become a problem.”

Allan also co-owns Sub Hub, another food spot downtown. He hopes all of his customers will be quick to catch on.

“It’s not the parking in general, it’s the lack of communication with our tourists. To the people who don’t know that there are parking garages right next to us and over here.”

Allan says it’s going to take time for Frankfort to adjust. 

“It’s like every downtown you’re always limited to parking. Everyone complains about their parking downtown. I understand that I don’t want to be one of those people. I want to be one of those people that asks, ‘Let’s do everything first and then start the parking enforcement.’” Allan explained. 

The new parking guidelines are not in effect on Sundays and will have signs posted around downtown for help.