Rudy’s Steakhouse, a longtime Salem restaurant that closed abruptly this spring, is getting a fresh start at the Creekside Golf Club under new ownership. The popular fine dining restaurant opened in 1998 at the Salem Golf Club under John Rudishauser. Rudishauser sold the business to Robert “R obbie” Kunke in 2016, who moved it to a city-owned space in downtown Salem a year after.  The downtown iteration at 350 Chemeketa St. N.E. shuttered on April 15 after the city terminated its leases over unpaid rent, as indicated by notices still plastered on its front door.  The city is now suing Kunke for $88,969, according to previous reporting by Salem Reporter. Kunke has claimed he tried to pay his back rent to the city, but said his check was rejected by city officials.  Kunke sold the rights to the Rudy’s name, menu, website and social media channels to local investors Daniel Hill and Justin Cabrera in August, Hill said. The pair plans to reopen the steakhouse at Creekside Golf Club under the name Rudy’s Greenside Steakhouse. It will have a soft launch in January and a full opening in February.  Hill declined to say how much they paid Kunke for the rights. Kunke did not respond to Salem Reporter’s phone calls or emails about the new restaurant and his decision to sell.  Its new name, Hill said, is to emphasize its return to a golf course and distinguish it from Kunke’s ownership. “Rudy’s was there and existed before Robbie, and it will exist now after him,” he said. Rudy’s Steakhouse LLC dissolved on Sept. 18, 2025, state business records show. Kunke was most recently listed as the company’s manager on August 2, according to state business records. The new business, Rudy’s Greenside Steakhouse, was registered on Dec. 1 under Cabrera’s name, records show.  The idea to revive Rudy’s was brought to Hill by Danny Moore, manager of Creekside Golf Club in May or June. Hill brought Cabrera in as a partner. Hill has fond memories of dining at Rudy’s at the Salem Golf Club in the early 2000s. He wants to “bring back an old friend,” he said of the relaunch. Hill said he and Cabrera are trying to save the brand and what people loved about Rudy’s. He emphasized they are “not part of what Robbie did,” and will not be responsible for any debts attached to Kunke’s business dealings. Those include hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes and payments to lenders, public records indicate. “My intention is just to bring back what people knew and loved about Rudy’s,” he said. “It’s been a Salem institution for a long time. I didn’t want to see that die,” Hill said. When Rudy’s returns, it will bring back much of the same menu, including signature dishes like sirloin steak, pork chops, crab cakes and brussel sprouts, though it will scale back on some dishes, Hill said. He hopes to eventually expand into brunch. Rudy’s Greenside Steakhouse will take over the space currently occupied by Paradiso On The Green, the club’s current restaurant. The business will vacate the space at the start of the year, with its kitchen and wait staff staying on at the new restaurant. Hill said they expect to hire more staff thereafter. The steakhouse will have a soft open sometime in January.  Once open, Rudy’s Greenside Steakhouse will serve the public Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. or later. They may have earlier hours later on for brunch. The golf club is at 6250 Club House Dr. S.E., with the restaurant located at the top floor of the clubhouse. The restaurant will advertise the grand opening and other updates on Rudy’s social media channels. As doors open to a new Rudy’s, those of its predecessor remain locked. Construction on the Chemeketa Street building is set to begin in the spring to repair the atrium. The space is being advertised for rent in the meantime, but will not be ready for tenants to move in until construction is complete, city officials said. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Rudy’s Steakhouse fails to pay debts as city officials request thousands, records show Despite city’s leniency, money troubles mounted for Rudy’s Steakhouse ahead of closure City terminates Rudy’s Steakhouse lease over unpaid rent City of Salem sues Rudy’s Steakhouse for over $88,000 in unpaid rent, fees The post New owners revive Rudy’s Steakhouse at golf club appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less