For Ashley Boggs Robilio, the restaurant business has never just been a career — it has been a way of life.

Born and raised in Memphis, Robilio grew up immersed in the hospitality industry, learning the business firsthand from her father, the late Thomas Boggs, founder of the iconic Huey’s restaurant chain.  Boggs personally trained his children, coaching and preparing them to establish a family dream team and ensure the restaurant’s success.  Long before Robilio became president of the company, she spent weekends helping with food preparation, salads and onion rings, eventually working her way through nearly every position in the organization.

Her first real job was in a restaurant – of course – at Dairy Queen at the Mall of Memphis.  She was also a server, then later a bartender at the original Huey’s in Midtown. “As they say, the rest is history,” Robilio said.

After graduating in 1989 from the inaugural hospitality and restaurant management class at the University of Alabama, Robilio gained experience in fine dining establishments in Massachusetts and Alabama before returning home to Memphis.  She joined Huey’s management team and helped open the company’s East Memphis location, beginning a journey that would take her from general manager to area manager, vice president, chief operating officer and, in 2023, president of the company.

Those decades of hands-on experience continue to shape her leadership style.

“I try to be fair. Fairness to me is very important,” she said. “If you tell me you’re going to do something, then do it.  And if you mess up — and you will — just fix it and move on.”

Robilio credits both of her parents for influencing her approach to life and business.  “My mom showed us what unconditional love looked like, and my dad taught me all about the business,” she said.  “They both had a very strong work ethic.”

Today, Huey’s has 10 restaurants and 650 employees across the Greater Memphis region. Bartlett is hopefully next on Huey’s location target list.

These days, you can find Robilio at the Huey’s corporate office working across all facets of the company, supporting operations, finance, HR and more. Like her father, she is passionate about her  job and tackles business with a hands-on approach. She is known for being a servant leader and would never ask Huey’s managers and staff to do anything she would not readily do herself. She still enjoys working in the different restaurants and getting to know Huey’s staff and customers.

Beyond her work at Huey’s, Robilio is deeply committed to community service. She has been actively involved in the Memphis Restaurant Association, Kiwanis Club of Memphis, Leadership Memphis, Memphis Food Bank and New Memphis.  She delivers Meals on Wheels through MIFA.  She’s also a member of Vistage Memphis.

She has served on the boards of DeNeuville Learning Center, Project Greenfork, Overton Park Shell and MIFA.  She participates in literacy programs with Idlewild Elementary.  She has been recognized by the Memphis Business Journal as both a Super Woman in Business and one of the Women Who Lead.  The Girl Scouts recognized her with a One Smart Cookie award, and the Commercial Appeal recognized Robilio and her sisters on the list of the top 20 female trailblazers who have made their mark on the Memphis food scene.

Robilio enjoys traveling, reading, snow skiing and hiking.  She’s been married to fellow restauranter Michael Robilio since 2013 and has a son, Zachary, who is 26 years old.  She’s also close to the rest of her family, including her mother and siblings.  “My brother Alex is back in the business, and that has been so great.  He is so fun and reminds me of our dad,” she said.  Her favorite book is Shawshank Redemption.  “I just loved their friendship, and what a great ending!” she said.

Why does Huey’s choose to invest in the Chairman’s Circle?  “My father taught us early to get plugged in and always give back to the community,” she said.  “I can’t remember a time that we weren’t donating food, gift cards, our time, our advice to others.  He was a great role model for that.  Our whole family has lived in Memphis and we all just love it.  We know how special it is!  When we learned about the Chairman’s Circle, we were simply blown away.  It was like a best kept secret to us.  We wanted to be a part of helping Memphis grow.”

And her favorite thing about Memphis?  “That is a hard question!” she said.  “I love our sports teams, our restaurant scene, the beautiful Mississippi River, our parks and our friendly people.  There are all these different fun pockets throughout the city.  I like to experience it all.”

In 2026 Robilio received one of the highest honors in her profession when the Memphis Restaurant Association named her Distinguished Restaurateur of the Year.

“It means the world to me,” she said.  “I was truly so surprised and so honored.  It’s also very cool because both my dad and sister have won it.  So it’s come full circle.”

When asked what advice she’d give to someone stepping into a leadership role in the restaurant industry today, she said, “Don’t do it! No, I am joking.  I love this crazy world we’re all in.  My advice would be:  Be a Good listener.  Do what you say you’re going to do.  Have people in your world that you trust for good advice.  People that will tell you what you need to hear, not want to hear.  Take chances and have fun!”

For Robilio, business success is measured not only by restaurant growth but by investing in employees, serving the community and helping Memphis thrive — lessons she learned from her father and continues to pay forward.