I love Wetherspoons so much I got a tattoo of the pub on my arm – the job saved my life
A SPOONS’ super fan has dedicated his love and respect for the chain with a massive tattoo of the pub logo where he used to work.
Riccardo Barile reckons Wetherspoons saved his life when he hit hard times before working there – and thought he would pay tribute with their logo on his arm.
He began his career at the Moon and Spoon branch in Slough and there met colleague Sean O’Farrell, who he says helped him.
When Sean moved to the Falcon in High Wycombe as manager, Riccardo moved too, and now works in the pub as a team leader.
Italian born Riccardo had the Moon & Spoon’s logo permanently etched onto his arm as a way to honour Sean’s kindness and celebrate the new life he found through a supportive work environment.
He said of his first Spoons job: “That job literally saved my life.
“Sean was so kind to me and we became friends.
“When he moved to High Wycombe, I moved with him.”
After posting a picture of his body art on Instagram one person commented: “Living legend you are!”
Riccardo captioned the picture and wrote: “I would like to say a huge thank you to: Mensah, Steph, Jack B and Dimi.
“Over the years you have all believed in me and encouraged me to become who I am today.
“I owe a very special thank you to this country, as it has brought me so many opportunities.”
He also joked that if he had stayed in Italy he would “simply be just another meatball on a plate of spaghetti.”
The tattoo lover admires his friend so much he has even joked that his next tatt will be Sean’s signature.
According to colleague Adam Coles, the 30-year-old is a “walking canvas.”
His other tattoos include images from film and TV, including the Walking Dead, Batman and Pulp Fiction.
But Riccardo is not the only Spoons super fan, Dan Muir also fell in love with the chain when he worked there from the age of 18 to 23.
The 39-year-old paid £100 for the design, which features a foaming pint of beer, a love heart and a scroll bearing the company name.
It is located in the pit behind Dan’s left knee and he claimed it was the most painful out of his 100 plus tattoos.
The data analyst said: “I love Spoons, it is a great place to catch up and ideal to see your buddies for a few beers.
“I’ve had some amazing nights. It’s a great atmosphere and I’m really passionate about it, so I wanted to dedicate part of my body to it.”
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “It’s wonderful that Dan has chosen to show his appreciation to Wetherspoon with his tattoo. The tattoo itself is superb and we’re sure it will gain a lot of admirers.”
