Pizza shop gives back after customer gets logo tattooed

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- West Avenue Pizzeria is donating the proceeds from sales of a certain customer's favorite pie to the charity of his choice, after the customer got a tattoo of their new pizza box logo.

Mario Cardenas, owner of West Avenue Pizzeria, enlisted the help of tattoo artist Travis John to create a new logo for their pizza boxes. He wanted it to be a unique spin on the classic look, which often features a drawing of a chef and some adjectives like "hot and delicious."

John came up with a design that features Cardenas tossing a pizza in the air, with his tattoos prominently displayed. John based the drawing off of a picture of Cardenas holding his son.

Cardenas unveiled the design on the shop's Instagram account.

"The response was incredible," Cardenas said, "so we decided to do a giveaway."

One of the three winners was Jon Korniak, a loyal West Ave. Pizza customer. While the other two winners opted for a $100 gift card for food along with their t-shirts sporting the logo, Korniak wanted the other prize option: $100 toward a tattoo from Travis.

"I'm kind of laid back when it comes to the tattoos," Korniak said.

He ultimately settled on what he wanted: the design on the box, featured in the giveaway that he won in the first place.

"It wasn't what I was expecting," said John, "and I was surprised and excited to do it."

Cardenas is honored to have a permanent spot on Jon's calf in the form of a bright red tattoo.

"He gave us more than we can expect," said Cardenas, "so I wanted to do something for Jon."

He's adding a pizza to the menu, named after Jon, with his favorite toppings: chicken parm, hot honey, and ricotta cheese. On October 1, sales from the pizza will go to the charity of Jon's choice.

He chose the Logan Strong Foundation, which provides items of comfort and support for children while they are undergoing treatment both in and out of the hospital.