I think it was a place in San Francisco in the early 1900's. (I'm recalling something from the Food Channel). Great, now I am going to have to look it up.

Perhaps the most plausible story dates back to 1918 when, in Los Angeles, David Jung, founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Co., invented the fortune cookie as a sweet treat and encouraging word for unemployed men who gathered on the streets. Some claim the cookie was more likely invented as a gimmick for Jung’s noodle business than as an icon of social concern.

Another history claims that the fortune cookie was invented in San Francisco by a Japanese immigrant named Makoto Hagiwara. Hagiwara was a gardener who designed the famous Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. An anti-Japanese mayor fired him from his job around the turn of the century, but later a new mayor reinstated him. Grateful to those who had stood by him during his period of hardship, Hagiwara created a cookie in 1914 that included a thank you note inside. He passed them out at the Japanese Tea Garden, and began serving them there regularly. In 1915, they were displayed at the Panama-Pacific Exhibition, San Francisco's world fair. San Francisco's Court of Historical Review ruled in 1983 in favor of San Francisco over the L.A. story. Although the court was presided over by a Federal judge, the court itself has been criticized as being less than serious and biased in favor of San Francisco.

Who invented the Fortune Cookies as we know today, the one being served at all Chinese restaurants? And how the custom of Chinese restaurants serving them started? The answer is: Mr. Seiichi Kito, the founder of Fugetsu-do in Little Tokyo in LA, came up with the idea of putting a fortune message in cookies from "Omikuji(fortune slip)" that is sold at temples and shrines in Japan. But, he did not know English, so he asked a doctor in Little Tokyo to write messages for him. Then he created a batch of fortune cookies and went sell them to all restaurants in Little Tokyo. But, none of Japanese restaurant was interested in buying them. So, he went to Chinatown to sell cookies to Chinese restaurans; they all loved these cookies. Thus, Mr. Kito's fortune cookie business started. Since he did so well with Chinese restaurants, he went upto San Francisco's Chinatown to sell his cookies there, too. Again, he was loved by all Chinese restaurants. Thus, the tradition of serving fortune cookies at Chinese restaurants was born thanks to Mr. Kito. Furthermore, if it were not for Mr. Kito selling his fortune cookies to Chinese restaurants, we would not be talking about fortune cookies today!!!!