Kathy Casey is a celebrated innovator, chef, mixologist and pioneer in the bar-chef movement. Early in her career, she was lauded as a Top 10 Chef by Food & Wine magazine and was a James Beard award nominee. She is touted as the original “Bar Chef” and was named one of the Top 10 most influential bar people of the past 25 years, as well as the VIBE Beverage Industry Innovator of the Year. Most recently, she received the Cheers BevX Mover & Shaker Award, recognizing her as one of the beverage industry’s leading visionaries shaping the future of hospitality.  

Kathy is the owner and CEO of Kathy Casey Food Studios–Liquid Kitchen, a full-service global agency specializing in innovation, food, beverage and concept development, as well as brand launches, onsite training and opening assistance. Operating out of Seattle, Vancouver and Palm Springs, her team serves clients ranging from ACCOR Hotels & Resorts, Norwegian Cruise Line, Monin, Airport Dimensions and California Pizza Kitchen to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Sandals Resorts International. In addition, spirit companies often seek her company’s innovation and development skills. Kathy and her team have created multiple award-winning concepts, menus and programs for clients, including VIBE Vista awards for “Cocktails on Tap” 2019 Best Overall Beverage Program and “Bespoke Cocktails” 2020 Best Beverage Menu Revamp for Norwegian Cruise Line, 2023 Cheers BevX Best Single Concept Hospitality for the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, and most recently 2025 Cheers BevX Best Innovative Independent Beverage Concept for the program overhaul of San Francisco’s iconic Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar. 

Also a brand owner, Kathy and her team understand operations. Her hospitality brands include Dish D’Lish, a “Food to Go Go” concept, and the companion line of retail and foodservice products, Rel’Lish Burger Lounge and Lucky Louie Fish Shack. Her pop-up concepts include the Shot Bar pop-up (which went viral), featured on The Tonight Show and recognized with a Cheers award for Best Single-Concept Hospitality Beverage Program, and Chicky, a chicken-focused airport pop-up. 

A savvy spotter of what’s hot on the culinary and cocktail scene, Kathy is an industry leader in trend identification. An engaging speaker and hospitality expert, Kathy is a frequent presenter at the VIBE Beverage Conference, the Flavor Experience, National Restaurant Association, The Culinary Institute of America, FAB (Airport Food & Beverage Conference) and Tales of the Cocktail. She has been featured in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, USA Today, Fortune, People, Food & Wine and The San Francisco Chronicle. She has appeared on CNN, Good Morning America, Food Network, Travel Channel and CBS This Morning, and hosted the Liquid Kitchen cocktail show as well as a cooking series on PBS. 

An accomplished writer and a Julia Child Cookbook Award winner, she is the author of 10 cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-nominated Kathy Casey's Northwest Table, Dishing with Kathy Casey, Sips & Apps, and D'Lish Deviled Eggs. Giving back is important to Kathy. She is a co-founder of the SBAAC (Small Business Airport Action Committee), supporting small-, minority- and women-owned airport restaurant and retail businesses. Kathy Casey Inc. is a certified women-owned business. When she's not dreaming up "the next big thing," Kathy can be searching for the best new #tastytravel locations!