Leslie Buck, 87, The Man Behind The Grecian Coffee Cup

Walking into a cafe or bodega with bleary eyes, ordering your cup of joe, do you ever take a look at the design on the coffee cup? Yes. Usually, it might be just plain white or with decorated with brown swirls that defeat the purpose of the consumption of a caffeinated drink. But you must have some awareness of this iconic Grecian coffee cup that used to be ubiquitously presented in take out orders.

“We are happy to serve you” might not be spoken by the server’s mouth, but it is still a gracious, allbeit nonverbal way of expressing gratitude for your patronage.  But now, let’s relieve the content and instead, glorify the design of the cup. Leslie Buck, the man who designed the image has passed away. The “Anthora” has been with us for more than half a century and should be revered for its timeliness and priceless message.  Unfortunately, most places today do not purchase these cups anymore.  However, I was strolling in Brooklyn and randomly came across this ‘crushed’ Anthora cup. What a pity…what a tragic method to treat something so unique and iconic.