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Trademark fight in Beavercreek
Buc-ee’s set off a backlash in Beavercreek, Ohio, after suing Beaver’s Mini Mart over the mini mart’s beaver logo, a dispute that has become another Buc-ee’s Ltd. trademark infringement lawsuit.
“Buc-ee’s sued Beaver’s Mini Mart in late July”
The Texas-based company filed in late July and asked for a jury trial in federal court in Ohio, arguing Beaver’s Mini Mart’s beaver branding is too similar to Buc-ee’s branded Buc-ee (“Bucky”) beaver.
Buc-ee’s said it first learned of Beaver’s Mini Mart when owner Vic Boparai filed a trade name registration on Oct. 23, and the business incorporated in 2017 changed its name from Hanes Road Carryout to Beaver’s Mini Mart in January 2025.
The legal fight comes as Buc-ee’s opened its first Ohio store less than a half-hour’s drive away, with the new 74,000-square-foot (6,875-square-meter) Buc-ee’s off Interstate 70 near Dayton featuring more than 100 gas pumps, 24 electric vehicle chargers and 700 parking spaces.
Buc-ee’s also previously sued a northern Ohio holding company over Mickey Mart gas stations, arguing its Mickey the Moose logo could be confused with Buc-ee’s “Bucky” beaver.
Outcry, boycotts, and DeWine
Supporters of Beaver’s Mini Mart attacked Buc-ee’s online and boycotted the stores, and British comedian John Oliver weighed in on the dispute during an episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”
On social media, #boycottbucees trended as the conflict spread beyond Ohio, with one image showing the Ohio State University football mascot, Brutus Buckeye, tackling Buc-ee the beaver.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called the lawsuit “absurd,” saying it concerns Beavercreek and that Buc-ee’s is fighting over a mini mart’s beaver logo.
DeWine’s remarks came after Buc-ee’s opened its first Ohio store in April, and the governor told reporters the lawsuit was absurd because it “concerns Beavercreek.”
A GoFundMe campaign aimed at covering Beaver’s Mini Mart’s legal costs had raised at least $69,000, according to the Associated Press.
City resolution and business stakes
Beavercreek City Council responded to the dispute by passing a resolution Aug. 10 making the beaver a permanent and official part of its 200-plus-year history, with Bucky the Beaver visiting ahead of the unanimous vote.
“passed a resolution Aug. 10 making the beaver a permanent”
Buc-ee’s said it repeatedly attempted to reach Vic Boparai without success, so it was forced to sue, while Boparai issued a statement thanking the community and “the entire country for supporting us and our business.”
The Associated Press said it was unable to reach Boparai at Beaver’s Mini Mart or by calling the store, leaving the legal merits contested as the case proceeds.
In addition to the GoFundMe, the mini mart gave permission to The Original Goodie Shop bakery in Upper Arlington to use its logo on a signature cookie, with $1 from each one sold going to support Beaver’s legal fees.
The dispute has also prompted other Dayton-area businesses to temporarily alter their logos by adding beavers in solidarity, as the fight over a single cartoon animal becomes a test of how far Buc-ee’s trademark strategy can reach.