Rusty Rudder Lake Norman Closing Due To Non-Renewal of Lease

After more than 15 years of family fun, football and entertaining folks from around the world, The Rusty Rudder Lake Norman at 20210 Henderson Road will close in October due to the non-renewal of their lease. However, things at The Rudder will continue as normal through the month of September such as live music every Friday through Sunday, the showing of all Panther games and other football games with the NFL Ticket. The Rudder staff was informed today of the news.

Owners Eric Paul and Brian Johnston co-wrote this statement,  “It is with heavy hearts that we announce The Rusty Rudder Lake Norman will be closing its doors on October 3, 2016. Regrettably, our landlord has decided not to renew the lease after 15 years of business forcing us to close our doors.

We would like to thank everyone that has been a part of The Rudder over these amazing years. We have truly felt like a part of Cornelius and Lake Norman Community from day one, and we will miss it deeply.

We have been fortunate and blessed to call so many people our dear friends and part of our Rudder family over the years. We feel like we have grown with each of you celebrating milestones and many occasions, some happy and some sad, but all together as a community.

You have ALL helped grow The Rudder into what it has become since May of 2002, and we cannot express how much that means to us.

We would like to thank all of the vendors, businesses and musicians that have helped us create The Rudder along the way. Our local partners and support made a huge impact on our success.

We would like to thank the numerous members of our staff over the years. We were privileged to have each of you as a part of our team and one of the ‘family’. It was truly an honor to watch you evolve professionally and as personally through your journeys with us. Most importantly we would like to thank our families. The ones that helped us get this crazy idea started so many years ago. Each of you stood by us through all of the ups and the downs and there is honestly no way we can repay you for that.


While this chapter is closing we have nothing but fond memories, grateful hearts and appreciation for everything the Rusty Rudder Lake Norman brought us. We will continue to own and run The Rusty Rudder Mt. Pleasant, and we hope that anytime your travels bring you to Charleston you will look us up and come say hi.”

Join them for their last weekend on the lake with live music by Blue Monday on Saturday, October 1 and for the Panthers vs. Atlanta Game on Sunday, October 2 including the final Sunday Funday at the TIKI bar.



Owners Eric Paul and Brian Johnston opened the Charleston Rusty Rudder in June 2014 at 3563 N. Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant, S.C. and operations at that location will continue. Patrons are encouraged to stop by the Rudder to say goodbye.