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Kevin Boehm is a first-time author with the release of his book, The Bottomless Cup: A Memoir of Secrets, Restaurants, and Forgiveness, (Abrams Press) 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.
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 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, serving over 2.5 million guests each year and generating more than a quarter billion dollars in annual revenue. His ambition propelled him to the pinnacle of his profession as the James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur in 2019- but it masked profound disconnection.
Kevin shares the curated truths gleaned from decades as an entrepreneur and businessman - the ones most potent to his development as a leader and his evolution as a man.
He shares the truth about:
- what success costs
- finding your superpower
- the habits that help you win and the ones that will undo you
- what it takes to lead over the long term, without losing yourself in the process
- restaurants as immersive theater complete with 'sets,' scripts, drama, and vital roles - and how you can benefit from applying this analogy in your work, too.
This talk isn’t about slowing down. It’s about showing up—differently.
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 hang by a thread
- 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 anecdotal wisdom
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