# Rob Katz

> Rob Katz is the Chicago-based co-founder and co-CEO of BOKA Restaurant Group. A former bar and music-venue operator, he partnered with Kevin Boehm in 2002 and helped develop restaurants including Boka, Girl & the Goat, and Momotaro. The partners won the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurateur award in 2019.

- **Role:** Co-founder and Co-CEO at BOKA Restaurant Group
- **Organizations:** BOKA Restaurant Group
- **Known for:** 2019 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur, jointly with Kevin Boehm., Co-developed chef-driven restaurants including Boka, Girl & the Goat, and Momotaro.

## Career timeline

- **1987** — Moved from Vancouver to Chicago for work in options trading; subsequently entered hospitality.
- **1990s** — Operated Chicago bars and music venues including Elbo Room, Katacomb, and Waterloo.
- **2002** — Founded BOKA Restaurant Group with Kevin Boehm.
- **2003** — Opened Boka in Chicago.
- **2007** — Giuseppe Tentori took over Boka’s kitchen.
- **2010** — Opened Girl & the Goat with Stephanie Izard; Boka earned its first Michelin star.
- **2014** — Opened Momotaro.
- **2019** — Won Outstanding Restaurateur with Kevin Boehm at the James Beard Awards.
- **2026** — BOKA expanded to Nashville with Momotaro, Alla Vita, and Middleman.

## Achievements

- 2019 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur, jointly with Kevin Boehm.
- Co-developed chef-driven restaurants including Boka, Girl & the Goat, and Momotaro.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — WTTW reported Gingie reopened August 29 following a kitchen fire; some employees worked at other BOKA concepts during the closure.
- **2026-07** — Nation’s Restaurant News reported BOKA’s late-June Nashville debut with Momotaro, Alla Vita, and Middleman.
- **2026-06** — OpenTable profiled Brian Lockwood, who joined BOKA as chef-partner in 2025 and opened Gingie in March 2026.

## Links

- Website: https://www.bokagrp.com/rob-katz
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-katz-6b20397

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/rob-katz
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-16