Born in Flint, Michigan in 1970, Co-owner Kevin Boehm always thought he would end up a restaurateur. Now with seven restaurants to his credit, Boehm has established himself as one of the premier owner/operators in the United States. After working his way through the front of the house for just more than three years, Boehm opened his first restaurant, Lazy Daze Café (Seaside, Florida) in 1993. Serving American coastal cuisine, the 40-seat café was an instant success - and Boehm was hooked. While running Lazy Daze, Boehm immersed himself in all aspects of operations and began his love affair with wine. While running the café he accepted the position as Wine Festival Coordinator for the renowned Seaside Wine Festival, and throughout his five-year run, brought in many prestigious winemakers including Jed Steele, Rodney Strong, Susan Selby and Randall Graham.

In 1996 Boehm opened his second restaurant, Indigo Wine Bar. The ambitious wine bar/restaurant was a consumer and critical success. Boehm then returned home to Springfield, having sold his Florida restaurants, to open Indigo in 1998. Wildly popular, Indigo became the hottest restaurant in town and was named "Best New Restaurant" by Springfield magazine. Involved in festivals and live music promotions, Boehm became friends with singer Kim Carnes, who encouraged him to consider Nashville for his next restaurant; in 2000, Boehm opened 6 Degrees, a multi-level restaurant and live music venue. Better opportunities beckoned in Chicago, however, and in 2002 Boehm moved to the Windy City, where he met Rob Katz through mutual friends and the two began collaborating on BOKA. The restaurant has garnered many accolades in its almost six years, including three stars from Chicago magazine and the Chicago Tribune, and Food & Wine's Best New Chef honor in 2008. In 2005 Boehm and Katz opened Landmark Grill and Lounge and began the branding of BOKA Restaurant Group. Landmark, a 10,000 square foot, three level facility, was voted one of the "Best New Restaurants" by Chicago magazine. In 2008 a third restaurant, Perennial, opened, and earned three stars from the Chicago Tribune, as well as being named among the Best New Restaurants 2008 in America by Travel and Leisure. Boehm and Katz plan to open "The Drunken Goat" in the fall of 2009 with "Top Chef" Winner Stephanie Izard. With Chefs Ryan Poli, Giuseppe Tentori, and Izard on board, BOKA Restaurant Group has positioned itself as a diverse and exciting home to innovative young chefs. Boehm has been a featured speaker at The National Restaurant Show, has passed his introductory sommelier exam, and continues to persure the education of food and wine everyday.