Pizza Shop Logo

Need a new eye pleasing logo for an Italian Restaurant.

balsamo's pizza

Tagline:
home of the 24 inch pizza

Desired Color Scheme:
See green in description.

Desired Style:
open

Accepted File Formats:
Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai); Layered Formats (.psd or .tiff)

I am the owner of Balsamo's Pizza... a pizza shop that has been in the same location for 20 years exactly now. I just bought the shop in April of 2007 and have totally redone the place. I am an amateur photographer as well and my photography hangs on one side of the pizza shop, and the other side has 2 42" lcd tvs and the walls are official Glidden Philadelphia Eagles Green with signed memorabilia hung everywhere.

The old owner had no logo whatsoever and no ambition to market his place and his product. We have the largest pizza from Philadelphia to the Jersey shore... it is a massive 24 inch 16 slice round pizza and it rocks! That is what I am centering my business as no one in my area can even compare anything to it. Not. Even. Close.

I am looking for a logo that can be from 'creative and fun' to 'crisp and classy'.

'creative and fun' because as of now we are just a pizza shop, although a high quality food place which is decorated rather nicely compared to most pizzerias, but nothing super fancy.... and we like to have fun.

'crisp and classy' because within a few years we may move into a new place and be more of a sit down restaurant (but this is a big maybe).

Existing logo is here: http://www.balsamospizza.com/logo.jpg it is something that i designed rather basically and quickly but it has served me well. This is just a reference please do not think it has to look very similar to this.

I am really open to all ideas and entries... there are only a few requirements and ideas:

REQUIREMENTS
Vector format (although personally I do not have a program to use it,but i do have photoshop so vector and .psd would be nice)
no capitalization ANYWHERE (except if you choose to incorporate XL in the design which is the name for the 24 inch pizza). i do not capitalize anything to do with my store as far as sings, menus, flyers, (what is going to be my website which is going to be a separate contest).
Font for name 'balsamo's pizza' MUST be century gothic, no bold or italics or underline.
Font for 'home of the 24 inch pizza' can be whatever you think matches with your design, or leave it century gothic.

IDEAS
The logo can be similar to the existing one meaning easily dropped onto a solid color page with no background of its own, or it can have its own background.. ie: pizza oven, pizza peel or stones or whatever you dream up.
Since i am centering my business around the XL 24 inch pizza it might be a good idea to have the pizza (as in the exisiting logo) in it whether as a background or a pic under it near it or whatever. it can be drawn, cartoonish or a real photo. It does NOT have to have the/a pizza, but i think it would suit my marketing best.
I also make my slices of pizza that i sell individually from this XL pizza. I have signs out front stating we sell the biggest slices in the known universe (which we pretty much do) so if not a pizza maybe the idea of a big slice.
COLORS right now the store has stained PINE wood paneling and i JUST got done getting my business cards (didn't think i would be doing something like this) so try and match that green somewhere in the design.
if you can incorporate the website http://www.balsamospizza.com into it the better but do not force it, if it does not look good do not include it.

I am pretty open minded and would like to see different ideas. Once this is contest is done and I choose a design I will be needing a website design so this logo will be incorporated directly into that contest.

I also ask the following:

The person who enters the contest is the legal owner of the entry.

Any imagery contained needs to be royalty free for commercial use.

Signed contract from the designer, assigning copyright to me, before issuing payment and in writing, warrants the originality of the artwork.

Any questions can be directed to digital_maelstrom@yahoo.com

Thanks and good designing!!