{"id":1683,"date":"2026-06-13T06:34:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T06:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1683"},"modified":"2026-06-13T06:34:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T06:34:03","slug":"watch-rudys-bar-b-q-job-helping-88-year-old-scottsdale-man-stay-young-and-active","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=1683","title":{"rendered":"WATCH: Rudy’s Bar-B-Q job helping 88-year-old Scottsdale man stay young and active"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

SCOTTSDALE, AZ \u2014 Most people think about retirement in their late 80s, but Scottsdale’s Elliot Koidin was looking for a job. <\/p>

Read more Arizona lawmakers urging Congress to divest federal utility provider SCIP<\/a><\/p>

At 87 years old, Koidin applied for a position at Rudy’s Bar-B-Q near Raintree Drive and the 101, hoping to stay active and connected to the community. Instead of focusing on his age, managers saw his energy, work ethic, and enthusiasm \u2014 and took a chance on him. <\/p>

A year later, that decision changed lives on both sides of the hiring counter. <\/p>

Known by regular customers simply as “Elliot,” the popular busser has become a beloved fixture at the restaurant, logging more than 1.4 million steps, losing 20 pounds, lowering his blood pressure, and finding a renewed sense of purpose along the way. <\/p>

Read more Valley man shares warning during Men\u2019s Health & National Cancer Survivors Month<\/a><\/p>

Koidin, who is now 88, works nearly 24 hours a week, greets customers with a smile, and has even become something of a local celebrity after a chance interaction with comedian Adam Ray went viral online. <\/p>

In the video player above, ABC15’s Cameron Polom follows Koidin through a day on the job to see how he’s thriving and talks with the managers who believed in him and made it possible.<\/i><\/b><\/p>

Read more Arizona researchers race to build faster Valley Fever test<\/a><\/p>

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Most people think about retirement in their late 80s, but Scottsdale’s Elliot Koidin was looking for a job. 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