Leslie Buck

As marketing director, Buck wanted to get Sherri Cup's products into New York City's diners and other eating establishments, many of which were owned by Greeks or Greek Americans.[1] Buck designed the Anthora paper coffee cup using the blue and white colors of the Greek flag, though he was not trained as an artist.[1] The name of the Anthora coffee cup came from a mispronunciation of the Greek word, amphora, as Buck pronounced it with an Eastern European accent.[1]

Buck designed the Anthora cup with the amphora, a Greek vase or urn,[2] down two sides of the cup.[1] The front of the cup pictured three gold-colored hot coffee cups.[1] The cup's motto, "We Are Happy To Serve You", is written across the cup, originally using a Classical font, though the words have changed at times since its design by Buck.[1]

Buck's Anthora cup was introduced in the mid-1960s and became a huge success throughout New York City.[1] The cups became a ubiquitous symbol of the city, appearing in New York themed television shows including Law & Order.[2] For decades, hundreds of millions of the cups were sold annually. In 1994, the Sherri Cup company sold 500 million Anthora cups.[1]

Though not as widespread as it once was due to the growth of Starbucks and other coffee chains in New York City,[2] the Solo Cup Company, which acquired the Sherri Cup Company, still sold approximately 200 million Anthora cups in 2005, and continued to manufacture Buck's cup upon request as of 2010.[1]

Leslie Buck retired from Sherri Cup in 1992.[1] The company gave him 10,000 specially made Anthora cups, each with an inscription, to celebrate his retirement.[1]