MANKATO — What if Brett Favre comes to Vikings training camp in Mankato?

“It’s just kind of my general opinion that if Brett Favre comes to town that there’s not enough restaurants, bars and hotel rooms just to take care of the media that’s coming to town,” said Jon Mueller, owner of Johnny B’s restaurant, which is just across the street from camp.

And while the 16-year Packers quarterback hasn’t signed with the Vikings, Mueller is confident he’ll show up in Mankato when training camp starts July 31.

“We’re moving ahead as if he were already signed,” he said.

On June 15, Favre told an HBO talk show host that he’s considering playing with the Vikings. At the time, he said he’d had surgery on his throwing arm about 21⁄2 weeks prior, and that it takes four or five weeks to determine if the surgery is successful.

He has not spoken publicly since then, but that

hasn’t stopped the speculation, especially in Mankato.

The Vikings and the constellation of groups that work with them to help run training camp at Minnesota State University aren’t comfortable talking about “what-if” scenarios involving Brett Favre.

“People are kind of afraid to talk about the whole Brett Favre thing until an official announcement has been made,” said Anna Thill, president of the Greater Mankato Convention and Visitors Bureau as she walked out of a meeting with a Vikings marketing official.

Shane Bowyer, a professor of entrepreneurship at MSU, co-owns the Sports Institute, which operates training camp on a contract with the Vikings.

He declined to speculate about why there might be extra interest in training camp this year.

“It’s Vikings camp, and there’s always going to be excitement around that,” he said.

Camp will be shorter this year, though.

NFL rules say training camps can’t start more than two weeks before the team’s



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first pre-season game, which is Aug. 14 at Indianapolis, he said. That, combined with an Aug. 19 move-in date for MSU students, has reduced the length of training camp by five days or so.

Angie’s Kettle Corn, a North Mankato business that has gotten a big boost at training camps, may ramp up their workforce if Favre and his fans come.

They’re also waiting to see how Favre’s brand will be regulated by the Vikings.

Of course, a Favre-related news vacuum from Vikings officialdom can’t stop the Mankato businesses that profit from training camp from crossing their fingers that Favre will pull in more consumers.

“The last time we saw a spark like this was when we had (former Vikings quarterback) Daunte Culpepper and (former Vikings wide receiver) Randy Moss going together,” said Preston Lougheed, general manager of AmericInn Hotel & Conference Center, the closest hotel to training camp.

So far, he’s been getting faster-than-normal reservations but isn’t yet sold out for the entire camp. As of June 30, reservations could be canceled given 48 hours notice. That may change if Favre signs and the hotel has more leverage.

So far, media have been making reservations.

“The fans will come once it’s official,” Lougheed said.

Likewise, Scheel’s store manager and company partner Brandon Scheel said, “It does make a big difference whether Brett Favre signs with the team or not” from a retail perspective.

The NFL won’t make Favre jerseys in Vikings purple until it’s official, he said, but there’s already a lot of shoppers asking when they’ll be coming.

Dave Cowan, facilities service director with MSU, said he’s forming a back-up parking plan to add to the 2,200 paved parking spots on MSU’s lots. Typically, those lots only fill up on evening scrimmages, but that might change this year.

“If there are additions that bring in additional fan base, we’ll be prepared,” he said.