Buc-ee’s Ltd., a Texas-based convenience store chain, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Beaver’s Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio, in late July. The company argues that Beaver’s Mini Mart’s beaver logo too closely resembles Buc-ee’s branded mascot and requested a jury trial in federal court. Buc-ee’s opened its first Ohio location less than half an hour’s drive away from the mini mart in March, followed by the company’s initiation of the legal action four months later.
The lawsuit has generated significant public opposition and sparked a broader conversation about trademark enforcement practices. British comedian John Oliver devoted a segment on his program to Buc-ee’s history of trademark litigation against various businesses with animal mascots, subsequently launching merchandise featuring a competing “Buc-off” logo. Social media campaigns emerged, including trending hashtags calling for boycotts of Buc-ee’s stores. Supporters of Beaver’s Mini Mart have organized various initiatives, including a GoFundMe campaign that raised at least $69,000 and partnerships with local bakeries to donate proceeds from beaver-themed cookies toward legal defense costs.
Beavercreek’s municipal government responded by passing a resolution on August 10 designating the beaver as an official part of the city’s history spanning more than 200 years. Several Dayton-area businesses temporarily modified their logos to include beaver imagery as a show of solidarity with the mini mart. Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who attended the grand opening of Buc-ee’s Dayton-area location in April, characterized the lawsuit as “absurd,” noting the irony of the company targeting a business in a city named Beavercreek.
Buc-ee’s has defended its legal action as necessary protection of its valuable trademark. The company stated it learned of Beaver’s Mini Mart when the owner filed a trade name registration and claimed repeated unsuccessful attempts to contact the business owner preceded the lawsuit. Beaver’s Mini Mart, incorporated in 2017 and renamed from Hanes Road Carryout in January 2025, remains involved in the dispute. The situation reflects an ongoing pattern of Buc-ee’s pursuing intellectual property claims against smaller businesses operating with animal mascots.
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