# BOKA Restaurant Group

> BOKA Restaurant Group is a Chicago-founded hospitality company that develops, operates and markets a portfolio of distinct chef-led restaurants, bars, catering programs and hotel dining venues. Rather than stamping one format across many addresses, BOKA pairs prominent chefs with centralized operating, design and development expertise, serving diners, private-event clients and hospitality partners in Chicago and a growing set of U.S. markets.

- **Founded:** 2002
- **Headquarters:** Chicago, United States
- **Founders:** Kevin Boehm (Co-founder and Co-CEO), Rob Katz (Co-founder and Co-CEO)
- **Team size:** 1,001-5,000 employees on LinkedIn; the supplied company record estimates about 1,500 employees.
- **Products:** Chef-driven restaurants and bars, BOKA Catering Group, Private dining and events, Hotel and cultural-institution food and beverage, Off-premise dining
- **Notable:** Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz won the 2019 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur., The flagship Boka has held a Michelin star continuously since the Chicago guide's 2011 edition; BOKA's site describes more than a decade of consecutive recognition., The group says its concepts have accumulated 20 James Beard Award nominations.

## Products & services

- **Chef-driven restaurants and bars** — A multi-concept portfolio spanning fine dining, neighborhood restaurants, rooftops, cocktail bars, steakhouses, fast casual and chef-facing counters.
- **BOKA Catering Group** — Full-service catering and custom food-and-beverage programs for weddings, corporate gatherings and social events.
- **Private dining and events** — Bookable private and semi-private rooms, venue rental, group menus and event planning across portfolio locations.
- **Hotel and cultural-institution food and beverage** — Restaurant and beverage concept development and operations for partners including the Chicago Athletic Association and the Art Institute of Chicago partnership with Levy.
- **Off-premise dining** — Pickup, delivery and selected meal experiences offered through restaurant-specific channels.
- **Gift cards and guest programs** — Digital and physical gift cards usable across participating concepts, plus centralized guest-relations services.

## Achievements

- Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz won the 2019 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur.
- The flagship Boka has held a Michelin star continuously since the Chicago guide's 2011 edition; BOKA's site describes more than a decade of consecutive recognition.
- The group says its concepts have accumulated 20 James Beard Award nominations.
- BOKA says seven of its restaurants have appeared in Restaurant Business's ranking of America's top 100 highest-grossing independent restaurants.
- Six BOKA restaurants appeared in the Chicago Tribune's Top 50 list, according to the group.
- BOKA expanded beyond Chicago through restaurants in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Florida and Nashville, alongside venue partnerships in Chicago.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — BOKA completed its Nashville debut in Wedgewood-Houston with Momotaro, Middleman and Alla Vita.
- **2026-06** — Midōsuji at the Chicago Athletic Association shifted from an eight-seat omakase format to an à la carte handroll bar.
- **2026-05** — The Ives opened in the former Cherry Circle Room at the Chicago Athletic Association as a modern grill room led by chef partner Chris Pandel.
- **2026-04** — BOKA announced that Elliott Aster in St. Petersburg had earned Michelin Recommended status.
- **2025-05** — Elliott Aster opened at The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Florida, with chef partner Lee Wolen.
- **2025-03** — BOKA took over food-and-beverage operations at the Chicago Athletic Association.
- **2025-02** — BOKA announced Gingie, a River North concept with chef partner Brian Lockwood combining European technique and Japanese influence.

## Links

- Website: https://www.bokagrp.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boka-restaurant-group
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/bokagrpchicago/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bokarestaurantgroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bokarestaurantgroup/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boka_restaurantgroup

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-14