Inside a page in Swetha Newcomb’s childhood diary, second-grade script foretells her future.

Inside a page in Swetha Newcomb’s childhood diary, second-grade script foretells her future. “I can’t wait till I’m older, and I can walk up and down in my restaurant in my fancy outfit,” wrote her younger self. Opening a restaurant is its own feat, but she never dreamed of catching the eye of the James Beard Foundation less than three years in. The young wife, mother and first-generation immigrant said she found out she was a 2026 James Beard semifinalist after everyone else. Now 31, Newcomb’s words from her childhood paint a picture that’s eerily similar to her present. On Tuesday, she sat in a leather booth, wrapped in a handmade apron, and chatted with The Star about her Indian-style restaurant: Of Course Kitchen & Co. in Overland Park. Read more about Of Course Kitchen and Co. at the link above. #JohnsonCountyKS #Kansas #OverlandPark #KansasCityFood #IndianCuisine 🎥: Tammy Ljungblad/The Star (@kctammy), Alexa Stone/The Star (@LexMadee)

By Kansas City Star

Published March 4, 2026

From the Local News community. Stay in the know about local news, business, history and more in the greater Kansas City area.

Posted in Local News. Stay in the know about local news, business, history and more in the greater Kansas City area.

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