Kevin Boehm | The Bottomless Cup | Ya Gotta Eat #7

Kevin Boehm has built one of the most respected restaurant groups in America.As co-founder of Boka Restaurant Group, he and his business partner Rob Katz operate more than 35 restaurants across Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and beyond. In 2018, they won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur in America.But this episode isn’t just about success. It’s about what it costs.In Episode 7 of Ya Gotta Eat, Kevin opens up about the story behind his new memoir, The Bottomless Cup: A Memoir of Secrets, Restaurants, and Forgiveness — and the truths that shaped his life long before the headlines. From sleeping in his car as a young man to building a restaurant empire, Kevin shares what ambition can give you… and what it can take.Robert St. John and Drew Wooton sit down with Kevin to talk about scaling restaurants, fighting for independent operators during the pandemic, and the pressure that comes with leadership. The conversation moves beyond hospitality into mental health, therapy, and the childhood secret about his biological father that reshaped his life.This is an honest, vulnerable conversation about resilience, responsibility, and the work of forgiveness.Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.As always: if we eat there, go eat there. Tip big. Support the places we visit.Pull up a chair — Episode 7 starts now. Because… Ya Gotta Eat!