Downtown sports bar plans to reopen next week

Roughly eight months after taking back ownership of Harbell’s Sports Bar and Grill, David Bauer said he expects to reopen the downtown Springfield eatery next week.

Sept. 5 is the targeted opening date, which Bauer said was timed to capitalize on the start of the NFL season. The football season kicks off Sept. 7, with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Detroit Lions.

The sports bar has been closed since late January, during which time Bauer, who owns the 315 Park Central West building, reassumed ownership of the restaurant on Jan. 26 from Marlin Blakeney, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. Bauer said at the time he executed a contractual agreement that allowed him to take back control of the business, citing financial issues and prerequisites to the business contract and lease agreement that were not properly performed by the former ownership group. Bauer had sold the business in 2021.

Bauer said he considered selling the building or leasing to a new tenant.

“I had three other places that wanted to open here,” he said, declining to identify them. “I thought it’s set up too good as a sports bar to give up on. I don’t want to pull all my stuff down and then six months later, a year later, I’m putting stuff back up.”

While the 3,750-square-foot restaurant’s return is imminent, Bauer, who also owns Coyote’s Adobe Cafe in Springfield, said his time as Harbell’s owner should be short-lived. He’s hired Jared Stevenson as the sports bar’s general manager with a succession plan in place.

“I’m basically mentoring him how to open a business. This will be with the intent of selling it to him,” he said, adding Stevenson previously served for over two years as GM at Coyote’s Adobe in Springfield. “We’re talking around October or November, something like that.”

Bauer, 63, said his age is a factor, considering the daily tasks of running the kitchen and managing staff.

“He’s kind of my exit strategy,” Bauer said of Stevenson.

Harbell’s was founded in 2011 by Jerry and Derek Bumgarner. Bauer bought the business and 7,500-square-foot building in late 2018, according to past reporting.

Noting he wasn’t in a rush to get Harbell’s reopened this summer, Bauer said he’s invested an undisclosed amount in kitchen equipment upgrades and other property renovations over the past few months. Bauer also plans to make a return of the Harbell’s menu he introduced when taking over the business nearly five years ago – and that includes burgers, quesadillas, sandwiches, smoked chicken wings and wraps.

“We’ve had many calls about putting back in our original menu and adding to that,” Bauer said, adding he’s seen a lot of interest on social media regarding Harbell’s return. “As many people have been commenting on wanting us to come back, I don’t think we’re going to skip a beat.”