St. Joseph businesses are busy rolling out their welcome mats ahead of the city’s first-ever Kansas City Chiefs summer training camp.

Ask anyone what they expect in terms of trade for those three weeks, and lofty hope springs forth — despite the unknowns associated with the camp’s inaugural year. A dominant question is whether Chiefs fans spilling in from across the region will step off the Missouri Western State University campus to check out the community’s wares — and thereby inject dollars into the local economy. One other potential issue is determining if camp visitors will simply choose to make only a day trip out of the experience and then head for home.

Anticipatory signs of the camp’s arrival and hospitality-laden greetings have blossomed everywhere in St. Joseph. Restaurants, bars, hotels and other merchants have taken the plunge by festooning their buildings in red, gold and white.

Two extra wait staff members have been hired at the Ground Round, said general manager Marcia Hayes. The restaurant is decorated for the occasion and staff will sport Chiefs shirts.

“We expect to be really busy, especially for lunch,” Ms. Hayes said. “All we can do is a guess. We’re expecting to be busier than normal.”

The camp, which begins Friday at Missouri Western and winds up Aug. 19, happens to coincide with vacation season, a time of year Ms. Hayes said the restaurant normally can’t predict its level of business. The basis for extra lunch business is couched on the team’s practice times.

Other businesses in St. Joseph, without the same proximity to the camp, believe it could prove difficult to lure camp followers to their front doors. Southgate Grill & Lounge owner Dennis Smith doesn’t envision any boost from the Chiefs and hasn’t made any special preparations.

“It’s kind of rough for me,” said Mr. Smith, whose restaurant is located at 6106 King Hill Ave. “If they show up, that’ll be great. A lot of them probably won’t go out of their way.”

Morgan Wyble, manager of Boudreaux’s Louisiana Seafood and Steaks, said past connections the restaurant has had with both the Chiefs and Western should overcome the trip Downtown.

“We’re expecting a pretty decent crowd,” Mr. Wyble said.

Boudreaux’s home-owned atmosphere will offer an advantage to visitors over typical chain restaurants, he added.

Hi-Ho Bar & Grill co-owner Kendall Randolph hopes for additional lunch and dinner patrons. He’s not as concerned that his location at 1817 Frederick Ave. could thwart business. Bartenders will be attired in Chiefs T-shirts.

“We might get some of their overflow,” Mr. Randolph said, referring to competitors located closer to Missouri Western. “We’re going to watch and see. We’ve got plenty of staff on board.”

It will take the first year to get a better sense of how to prepare for the 2011 camp, he said, and better determine what sort of visitors will choose to visit other parts of St. Joseph.

Hotels are bracing for increased occupancy tied in with the camp. Officials at the Ramada Inn began initial contacts a year ago and have put together a Chiefs package that includes a room, use of the Monkey Cove Waterpark, and team memorabilia. Banners, flags and other decorations will welcome guests.

“We have big expectations,” said general manager Nancy Harrell-McCormack. “We are getting more rooms booked” during the camp’s three-week run, she added.

An official at Stoney Creek Inn expects a mingling of overnighters, day-trip visitors and mini-vacationers to arrive from the Kansas City and Omaha areas.

“Our bookings up to this point haven’t been as strong as we expected,” said sales manager Dan Posch. “We’re going to see a lot of influx right before training camp. We really do think it’s going to be very strong.”

The Pony Express Museum has decided to extend its hours from 5 to 8 p.m. weekdays for the duration of the camp, said director Cindy Daffron. The museum’s normal hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“They’ll at least give us a look,” Ms. Daffron said. “We’re hoping they’ll have some extra time.”

A T-shirt design is under consideration that would incorporate Chiefs and Pony Express themes.

The St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau is gearing up by communicating with fans over Facebook and Twitter, said executive director Marci Bennett.

Comments posted on the CVB’s Facebook page often refer to plans for family outings, Mrs. Bennett said.

“Those are the kinds of things we were looking for,” she added.

For example, former St. Joseph residents who now live in Johnson and Shawnee counties in Kansas indicate they intend to return because of the camp, said communications director Beth Conway. Facebook friends are asked if they will visit other sites while in the city.

A comprehensive study will be conducted after the camp concludes to assess its impact, Ms. Conway said. Dan Nicoson, Missouri Western’s vice president for university advancement, said the study will be compiled by economics professor Dr. Patrick McMurry.

Ray Scherer can be reached

at ray.scherer@newspressnow.com.

Looking for more information?

Camp Guide, a publication of the News-Press, will be offered free of charge to visitors at the Kansas City Chiefs training camp that runs from Friday though Aug. 19 on the Missouri Western State University campus.

The camp’s official program features details on special events, schedules, a player roster, a rundown of the Chiefs’ 2010 draft class and more.

A map of the training camp complex and Western’s campus — with a layout of available parking — is included, along with a question-and-answer section. A digital version of the guide is available on our Chiefs page.

Correction: Due to a photographer's error, Olivia Gray was incorrectly identified in an earlier photo caption with this story. The News-Press apologizes for the error.