If you’re a New Yorker who enjoys your daily cup of coffee, you’ve probably already sipped from a blue, white, and gold cup of Greek coffee that says “WE’RE HAPPY TO SERVE YOU.” Even if you’re not a coffee lover, you may have seen the cups clutched in the hands of other travelers, on the counter at your local bodega, or on shows like Law and order, Mad MenAnd The Sopranos. In fact, the mug may be so familiar that you’ve never considered why it has a Greek theme. But don’t worry, we’re here to tell you why.
New York Greek coffee cups are called “Anthora”, which comes from the Greco-Roman word amphora, an old container. If you look closely at the cup you will see the image of a amphoraalongside the cup’s slogan and a Greek key (the decorative border), all against a blue and white background of the Greek flag.
The story begins with the wave of Greek immigrants to New York in the early 1900s, who brought with them their love of coffee. This precipitated an influx of Greek-owned cafes and carts…more than 600 of them. In 1963, the Sherri Cup Company created a standard coffee cup to appeal to these Greek food sellers and restaurateurs. The company’s marketing director, Leslie Buck, then offered a warm message for the cups: “We are happy to serve you.” » The Anthora quickly became New York City’s go-to coffee mug.
Greenwich Village Coffee Tour
Cup sales peaked at 500 million in 1994with The New York Times describing the cuts as “perhaps the most successful cut in history”. In 2003, a ceramic version of the mug was designed and then sold by MoMA.
But then the Solo Cup Company bought Sherri in 2005 and sales dropped to 200 million. The decline in sales is largely due to 1994: start of Starbucks in New York and of course, the influx of other immigrant restaurateurs. What was once a standard coffee mug has become a much rarer find. The New York Times even called Greek coffee cups “one of those disappearing artifacts.”
In 2006, Solo Cup ended wide distribution of the cups, but retained its iconic design by selling licenses to Restaurants and souvenir shops. Finally, after nine years, the Anthora Cup officially returned in 2015 and became available to wholesale distributors when the Dart Container Company, owner of the cup, received requests for its return. Linda Greenman of Dart announced it, stating: “The Anthora has become an iconic symbol of New York City. Coffee sellers and drinkers no longer have to settle for pretenders. The real Anthora – considered iconic, ubiquitous and symbolic in its heyday – is ready to take its place as the throwback cut.
However, with different mug companies selling them, there is no longer a single design, but different versions. In 2005, The New York Times interviewed a man who collected the Greek coffee cups. His mugs had slightly different designs and slogans, with one variation even replacing the amphora with the Statue of Liberty. Another version of the cup, produced by Premier Cup, features a disc launcher.
Today, the Anthora may be less common than in its early days, but still retains its novelty. NYCoffeeCup calls the mug “the one and only original New York coffee mug” and prides itself on being “the only place to buy the original New York coffee mug.” It’s fascinating that although Buck and the Sherri Cup Co.’s original intentions were to market their products to Greek sellers, their creation became an enduring symbol for New York City despite its ups and downs. It has come to represent both the city itself and its identity as a place welcoming immigrants.
Discover more coffee history in New York on our Greenwich Village Coffee Tour and Tasting!
Greenwich Village Coffee Tour
Then read about the surprising history of the “I Love NY” logo And NYC Greek Food Cart Royalty: All Hail Astoria’s King Souvlaki. Contact the author @sgeier97.
