The Anthora Cup at MoMA.

The Anthora coffee cup, with its unmistakable blue-and-white design and the iconic phrase “We Are Happy to Serve You,” is more than a paper vessel – it’s a symbol of New York City coffee culture.  Designed in the 1960s to resonate with the city’s many Greek-owned diners and coffee shops, the cup features classical Greek motifs like an amphora and meander (Greek key) pattern. 

This timeless design reflects both a cultural heritage and the pulse of a city always on the move.  The cup’s cultural impact and instantly recognizable aesthetic earned it a place in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.  Reimagined as a ceramic Anthora cup, this once-disposable item has been elevated to design icon status – a permanent piece in MoMA’s curated celebration of functional art and urban identity.

The Anthora’s presence in MoMA underscores its role not just as a coffee container, but as a lasting emblem of New York design, street-level creativity, and the shared experience of a morning coffee in the city that never sleeps.