Chef Marc Vetri is looking for his original, hand-painted menus

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Marc Vetri first opened the doors of his signature restaurant Vetri on Spruce Street in Center City 24 years ago.

Anticipating the 25th anniversary next year, he's asking his customers for a favor.

You see, for the first decade or so, he hand-painted and hand-wrote every single menu himself.

He says he's humbled that so many diners saved his menus, some even framing them.

Now, he wants to borrow them back for an art installation.

"Over the years, every single night that someone's eating here, they mention how they have one of my menus hanging on their wall," Vetri says. "They say it just really reminds them of this moment in their life. And I think, 'Wow, I remind you of a special moment.' So I just thought, let's memorialize all of that."

Vetri later realized he could have his handwriting turned into a font so he started color copying each week's signature fork design.

If you have an older, hand-painted one at home, a Vetri original, he's asking to borrow it for a bit. He's also asking that you add a little note about the evening that you dined with him.

You can mail it or drop it off in person. If you do, he says stay and have an espresso with him on the stoop.

After the installation, he promises you will get your menu back.