# Kevin Boehm

> Kevin Boehm is the Chicago-based co-founder and co-CEO of BOKA Restaurant Group. With Rob Katz, he built a group of distinct, chef-driven restaurants and won the 2019 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur. His career began with a six-table restaurant in Seaside, Florida, in 1993; his memoir, The Bottomless Cup, was published by Abrams Press in November 2025.

- **Role:** Co-founder and Co-CEO at BOKA Restaurant Group
- **Organizations:** BOKA Restaurant Group, Independent Restaurant Coalition
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** University of Illinois
- **Known for:** 2019 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur, shared with Rob Katz., Co-founded a restaurant group with concepts in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York., Published the memoir The Bottomless Cup in 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1993** — Opened a six-table restaurant in Seaside, Florida.
- **1995** — Opened Indigo Wine Bar in Seaside.
- **2002** — Partnered with Rob Katz to establish BOKA Restaurant Group.
- **2003** — Opened Boka in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.
- **2019** — Won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur jointly with Rob Katz.
- **2020** — Co-founded the Independent Restaurant Coalition.
- **2025** — Published The Bottomless Cup with Abrams Press on November 4.
- **2026** — Partnered with chef Brian Lockwood on Gingie in Chicago.

## Achievements

- 2019 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur, shared with Rob Katz.
- Co-founded a restaurant group with concepts in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.
- Published the memoir The Bottomless Cup in 2025.
- Delivered the June 2025 National Louis University commencement address.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — BOKA announced Gingie’s return after a kitchen fire closed it three days after its March opening.
- **2026-04** — Appeared on the This Is TASTE podcast to discuss BOKA and his memoir.
- **2026-01** — Appeared on TODAY to discuss The Bottomless Cup.
- **2025-11** — Abrams Press published The Bottomless Cup on November 4.

## Links

- Website: https://www.bokagrp.com/kevin-boehm
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-boehm-4826a326b/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinboehmboka/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kevin-boehm
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-14