Proudly presented by Coca-Cola is the Good Fortune takeaway. Over the years, I have never, ever seen this place open. Coke’s absolutely saturated it with signage, and there’s faded evidence that there was once even more. I’m guessing this wasn’t a place you headed to when you felt like a Pepsi.
If I were conspiracy minded, I might argue that Coke has paid (or threatened) the current owners to keep the signs up for the free advertising. Does this work as advertising? Is anyone looking at the dead husk of a Chinese restaurant and getting thirsty? The small, weathered sign on the side informs us that the advertising space (not a shop, an advertising space) is under exclusive contract to Coca-Cola. Can I ask why? It’s not like this is the Centerpoint Tower, or a place with amazing exposure. It is across the road from a school, however…the conspiracy deepens.
As old as the place is already (six digit phone number), the peeling paint on the awning suggests there’s an even older entity waiting to expose itself to the world. The shop appears to be part of the residential complex behind it, so it’s likely that someone bought the house and closed the shop. Good fortune for the homeowner, bad luck for the Good Fortune.
Past/Lives of the Near Future 
Highly enjoyable writing ~ witty .
Always enjoy reading these posts !
I have actually seen it open, but never ventured in.
I still remember the face of the woman who worked there, likely the owner. I last recall being sent down there to pick up food when staying at a friends house nearby, judging by my age and the particular friend, it was probably about 1994.
They used to give free prawn chips with orders and sold cigarettes to minors I think.
Forest Road next to Old’s Park, near my grandmother’s house. I remember the free prawn chips too.
I walked past this shop this morning. In the seven years since this post, the lettering has decayed further, unmasking some (illegible) faint lettering underneath ‘GOOD FORTUNE’. An enterprising tagger by the name of ‘PRUE’ has modified the Coke sign above the awning so that it sports their moniker instead.
A search on Trove for the address- 678 Forest Road Peakhurst/Mortdale- reveals that the shop was Birch’s Store in 1939 and Kent’s Shop in 1943. It’s a safe bet that it functioned as a general store for most of its life, serving plenty of lollies to the kids of Penshurst West school, with the Good Fortune being its last gasp as a commercial entity.
Lived at Lugarno and then later down the road from here. Best Chinese food I have ever had. Plenty of meat in the meat dishes, prawns in the prawn dishes, veges in the vege dishes. Combination short soup a feast on its own. Asian family running it were lovely. Nearly cried when it closed.
I lived on Scott Street, and it was always a favourite. I even made my very first credit purchase here. They did good-sized spring rolls before the minis took over, and you could get pretty much any dish as a combo with rice at any time of the day. Very generous family takeaway boxes as well, awesome hot chips and chicken wings. Before Good Fortune opened, it was a milk bar/hamburger shop. I drive past it almost every day. My mates and I called it “Yes Hello” because the owner (we called him Boss) always greeted you with a friendly”Yes, hello” or on the phone “Yes, hello Good Fortune Chines TakeAway”. Suburban Chinese at its finest.