Kevin Boehm Keynote Speaker

Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Boka Restaurant Group
2019 James Beard Award Winner
Author, The Bottomless Cup: A Memoir of Secrets, Restaurants, and Forgiveness

Kevin Boehm's Biography

Kevin Boehm is the author of The Bottomless Cup: A Memoir of Secrets, Restaurants, and Forgiveness (Abrams Press), released in November 2025.

After opening more than 40 restaurants over the last 30 years, James Beard winning restaurateur Kevin Boehm (pronounced “Bame,” rhymes with ‘fame’) has become one of the nation’s most successful owner/operators. Kevin, along with his business partner Rob Katz, have not only built a thriving restaurant group, but have established a culture built on great chefs, inspired design, and enlightened hospitality.

Born in 1970, Kevin grew up in Springfield, Illinois and knew at a young age that he wanted to be in the restaurant business. After working in the industry for just a few years, he saved enough money to open a 6-table restaurant in 1993 called the Lazy Daze Café, in quaint Seaside, Florida. Indigo Wine Bar (Blue Mountain Beach, FL), Indigo (Springfield, IL) and Six Degrees (Nashville, TN) would follow, and Boehm got his education opening and selling 4 restaurants all before the age of 30.

In 2002, Boehm would partner with Rob Katz, and the two would open over 30 places together in less than 20 years. The group’s many accolades and accomplishments include 18 James Beard Finalist nominations, two Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, & 10 consecutive Michelin Stars for Boka. Boehm, along with Katz, won Restaurateurs of the Year in TimeOut Chicago in 2010, the Chicago Tribune in 2011, and were Eater National’s Empire Builders of the Year in 2012.

They have been James Beard Finalists for Best Restaurateur in America in 2016, 2017, and 2018 and New City Chicago ranked them #1 in 2017 in its annual list of the 50 most powerful influencers on the Chicago dining scene. In 2019, they won Outstanding Restaurateur in America at the James Beard Awards.

Kevin has spoken for the National Restaurant Show, MUFSO, Miami Food & Wine, New York City Wine & Food Festival, Montage Hotels Summit, IPSOS Summit, The New Zealand Restaurant Association, The Illinois Restaurant Association, Kellogg School of Management, University of Illinois, The Global Business District, Chicago Gourmet, The Welcome Conference at Lincoln Center, Hearst Publishing, Roti, a SweatLife Wellness Summit and many others.

He has given the commencement address at both Culinary Institute of America and Kendall College. He currently sits on the board of the Illinois Restaurant Association, OpenTable, 826 CHI, and is a founding member if the Independent Restaurant Coalition.

In 2020 Boehm co-founded Bian, (pronounced ‘Bee-yahn’) a private club with a foundation in wellness. Forbes called it “the ultimate wellness destination.”

The Bottomless Cup: Surprising Truths About Superpowers, Restoration & Enlightened Hospitality – from James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur Kevin Boehm

The bottomless cup is a symbol of generous hospitality—and the trap of endless striving. Kevin Boehm understands both. As Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Boka Restaurant Group, he’s built one of the most respected hospitality brands in the country, annually serving over 2.5 million guests and generating more than a quarter billion dollars in revenue. Over decades, his adrenaline-fueled ambition led him to the pinnacle of his profession—James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur in 2019—yet it masked a profound disconnection from himself.

In this deeply reflective and refreshingly candid keynote, Kevin shares the curated truths gleaned from decades as an entrepreneur and leader—the ones most potent to his development as a person and professional. He shares the truth about what success can cost. The truth about finding your superpower. The truth about the habits that help you win and the ones that quietly undo you. The truth about what it takes to lead over the long term without losing yourself in the process. He also unpacks the truth about restaurants as immersive theater—complete with sets, scripts, drama, improv, and vital roles—and how that analogy can elevate your own leadership and organizational culture.

This talk isn’t about slowing down. It’s about showing up—differently. Kevin speaks to high performers who have built something remarkable but can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. Through defining stories, anecdotes, tools, and rituals—he offers a reset, a model, and a human path forward. You can still go big. You can still drive results. And you can do it without running yourself into the ground.

You can be both happy and a business assassin. Really.

What You’ll Take Away:

Why telling the truth is a strategic and revolutionary act
A framework for sustaining excellence without erasing yourself in the process
Tools that restore clarity, presence, and perspective in high-pressure roles
New rhythms and rituals that make ambition energizing and sustainable—not all-consuming
Stories to learn from: harsh, humorous, human, healing, helpful, hopeful

This Keynote Is For Those Who:

Can’t publicly admit they’re tired—but privately are hanging by a thread
Have let ambition outpace their nervous system
Lead well but live poorly
Want to trade the facade for something more sustainable
Reject overly prescriptive guidance in favor of more anecdotal wisdom

He is a James Beard Award–winning restaurateur who has opened more than 40 restaurants over three decades, bringing hard-earned insight into what it takes to build and sustain hospitality brands at scale.
He translates the real-world mechanics of enlightened hospitality into practical leadership lessons on culture, service and execution that teams can apply immediately.
He brings a founder’s perspective on growth and reinvention as co-founder of BIÂN, showing leaders how to design experiences that meet rising expectations around wellbeing and loyalty.
He offers a compelling narrative of resilience and responsibility through The Bottomless Cup, helping audiences connect strategy to the personal choices and values that shape lasting success.
He is an experienced speaker for industry and business audiences, delivering candid, high-energy briefings that sharpen decision-making for operators, executives and entrepreneurs.

Videos of Kevin Boehm

The Bottomless Cup: A Memoir of Secrets, Restaurants and Forgiveness by Kevin Boehm

The Language of Our Lives - Kevin Boehm

Kevin Boehm & Rob Katz win 2019 James Beard Award

Articles, Media & Podcasts

James Beard Awards: Boka Restaurant Group, Parachute chefs among big winners in Chicago

Chicago Tribune

Books by Kevin Boehm

The Bottomless Cup

Comments & Testimonials

We were fortunate to have Kevin open Food Network Magazine’s National Sales Meeting. He is an extraordinary speaker who inspired and delighted our team. He is a true ‘Wow!’

Amy Mehlbaum Hearst Publishing

The most inspirational speaker I have ever seen.

Chief Growth Officer IPSOS (Global Market Research and Public Opinion Specialist)

There is nobility in hospitality, unbelievable power in pouring yourself into the restoration of others. In this beautiful and inspiring story, Kevin Boehm shows us all how sometimes answering the call to serve is the best way to restore ourselves.

Will Guidara New York Times bestselling author and James Beard award-winning restaurateur

Kevin’s speech to our Customer Advisory Board was more than a presentation—it was a captivating story rooted in his own personal journey. Through it, he built a genuine, emotional connection with our audience. His passion for elevating customer experience through meaningful moments shone through, making his message both memorable and motivating. Highly recommend!”

Angela Korompilas CEO, DMA