A sports bar known for karaoke nights and dart boards is set to fill one of the last major vacancies at Bedford's Harwood Shopping Center, the strip mall reshaped around the world's leading firearms auction house. Scooter's Sports Bar & Grill has signed a 10-year lease for 8,168 square feet at the center, with plans to invest roughly $1 million into upgrading its space and open by midyear 2027.
The deal was announced by Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services, according to The Business Press, which reported that Binkley Restaurant Group inked the lease on behalf of the sports bar chain. Chris Kennedy, vice president of Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services, called it “a cool concept and a big win for the next phase” of the property's ongoing transformation, per the outlet's report. Harwood Shopping Center sits at 3508 Harwood Rd. in Bedford, within the Mid-Cities submarket, and spans 127,121 square feet on 11 acres with direct access and unobstructed signage visibility from Texas 121.
Scooter's already operates locations in Arlington and Garland, and its Garland outpost has run for more than 16 years under the same ownership as a neighborhood sports-broadcast and karaoke spot, according to Giftly. The Bedford location is expected to offer the brand's signature mix of DJs, karaoke, dancing, widescreen TVs, dart boards, pool tables, bars, dining space, and patio seating, the same amenities the chain features at its existing sites. Planned menu items reported by CultureMap Fort Worth include a Spicy Jalapeño Burger, country fried steak, catfish or Buffalo shrimp baskets, Irish nachos, quesadillas, and a dozen varieties of wings.
A Former Walmart Anchors the Overhaul
The retail center's transformation traces back to Rock Island Auction Co., which acquired Harwood Shopping Center in 2022 and undertook a multimillion-dollar renovation of an 85,899-square-foot former Walmart to serve as its primary Texas venue, the property's centerpiece. The Illinois-based company, founded in 1993, operated in Illinois for 30 years before celebrating the official grand opening of its 3600 Harwood Road facility in Bedford in December 2023, according to a PR Newswire release. The facility now includes a 19,000-square-foot preview hall where the public can inspect collectible firearms, militaria, and historical artifacts ahead of multi-day auction events, per a report from DuPont Registry.
The scale of that operation is considerable. At its inaugural Texas Premier Auction in Bedford in December 2023, Rock Island Auction Company generated $26.7 million in sales across 2,252 lots, setting a company event record and pushing annual sales past $100 million for the third consecutive year, according to Athlon Outdoors. Federal firearm records show the company operates at 3600 Harwood Road under Federal Firearms License #5-75-439-09-5J-22241, categorized as a Type 09 Dealer in Destructive Devices, per FFLs.com. With that kind of visitor draw anchoring the site, Rock Island Auction Co. now plans to retool the remaining 41,222 square feet of retail space around it, including five vacant storefronts totaling 13,618 square feet.
Renovations Extend Beyond the Storefronts
Bradford Construction Management is at the helm of the center's broader renovation, which includes white-boxing the five vacant storefronts, redesigning the exterior, and upgrading the parking lot, which currently holds 1,544 spaces. Kennedy said the landlord is planning a full repositioning to attract quality tenants for a growing area with new rooftops in the Mid-Cities, according to the same Business Press report. Harwood Shopping Center was originally developed in the late 1980s, and Todd Lambeth, executive vice president and managing partner of Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services, is also involved in the leasing effort.
The Scooter's deal lands amid a broader push by Bedford officials to reshape commercial corridors around the city. According to Hoodline, in July 2026, plans were highlighted for Bedford's Market at Gateway project along State Highway 183, a mix of retail and housing that includes a 23,443-square-foot Sprouts Farmers Market, a standalone Chipotle drive-thru, and 106 townhomes. The city has also pursued its own land deals to steer growth, including a 2021 vote by the Bedford City Council to acquire an 18.5-acre property along Highway 121 for $9.5 million to establish a commercial mixed-use site, according to The Business Press' earlier reporting.
City-Led Projects Complement Private Investment
Separately, the City of Bedford reviewed updated plans in March 2025 for Bedford Commons, a 30-acre city-owned site designated for single-family housing and a walkable commercial retail plaza built around legacy trees and existing creeks, according to a city bulletin distributed via GovDelivery. Bedford covers roughly 10 square miles in Tarrant County along State Highway 121, about 14 miles from Fort Worth, 22 miles from Dallas, and 5 miles west of DFW International Airport, per the City of Bedford's economic development office, a location that continues to draw regional retail and dining brands to the Mid-Cities submarket.
Together, the Harwood Shopping Center overhaul and the city's parallel land acquisitions reflect a coordinated effort to modernize aging suburban strip centers built decades ago. With Scooter's targeting a mid-2027 opening and Rock Island Auction Co. continuing to reposition the rest of the property, Bedford's Highway 121 corridor is poised for its next wave of change.
