NATCHEZ — A few restaurant owners are hoping to make grabbing lunch to go downtown quicker and more convenient for their customers.

René Adams, owner of Rolling River Roasters and Natchez Specialties catering, appeared before the Natchez Board of Aldermen last week to request the city allow restaurant owners to designate one or two parallel parking spots in front of their restaurants for customers picking up to-go orders.

Adams said the spots would only be in use between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and would greatly improve convenience for her lunch customers and elderly customers. Adams said she would like two spots for her business.

Parking in the downtown area is a longstanding problem, Adams said, and business owners parking in front of their businesses sometimes deter customers who want to park close to the building.

Adams said she has had people tell her that they were going to stop by her business but could not find a place to park.

Pearl Street Pasta owner Sandra Burkes said she has had similar complaints and believes to-go parking would greatly help her new grab-and-go business.

“It would be so nice, and it would help us out a lot for grab-and-go. Even if we had just one spot, it would be great,” she said.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis asked Adams how she envisioned the parking working smoothly.

Adams said the parking arrangement would be similar to that of how the Natchez Eola Hotel designates spots for tour buses. The hotel puts sandwich board signs at the curb to reserve spots for the buses.

Mayor Butch Brown said he believes crowded downtown parking is a good problem to have in Natchez.

The board of aldermen did not offer an immediate answer to Adams about the parking, but Brown said the city would consider what it could do.

“We will fix it some way,” he said.