The numbers come first. Buc-ee's operates a 74,000-square-foot store off Interstate 70 near Dayton — more than 100 gas pumps, 24 electric vehicle chargers, 700 parking spaces. Beaver's Mini Mart occupies a long, low building with a shingle roof at a suburban intersection. Those two businesses are now facing each other in federal court in Ohio.
Buc-ee's Ltd. filed the trademark infringement lawsuit in late July, four months after its first Ohio location opened less than a half-hour's drive from Beaver's Mini Mart. The Texas-based chain argues that the mini mart's beaver logo too closely resembles its own branded 'Buc-ee' beaver — a buck-toothed mascot wearing a red ball cap against a yellow backdrop. Beaver's Mini Mart counters with a full beaver, unclothed, waving and smiling against a white background. Buc-ee's has asked for a jury trial.
The lawsuit is not an isolated move. While preparing to enter Ohio in February, Buc-ee's also sued the northern Ohio holding company behind Mickey Mart gas stations, claiming its Mickey the Moose logo could be confused with Buc-ee. The company's response was blunt: 'A moose is not a beaver.' A lip-licking alligator and a hat-wearing bear have previously found themselves in Buc-ee's legal crosshairs as well.
In a statement on its website, Buc-ee's said it first learned of Beaver's Mini Mart when owner Vic Boparai filed a trade name registration on Oct. 23. According to corporate paperwork, the small business — incorporated in 2017 — changed its name from Hanes Road Carryout to Beaver's Mini Mart in January 2025, roughly four months after Buc-ee's broke ground near Dayton. The company says it repeatedly attempted to reach Boparai without success before filing suit. Boparai has issued a statement thanking supporters but has not addressed the lawsuit's merits. The Associated Press reported it was unable to reach him at the store or by phone.
The backlash has been swift and tangible. A GoFundMe campaign to cover Beaver's legal costs had raised at least $69,000. Beavercreek City Council passed a unanimous resolution on Aug. 10 making the beaver a permanent and official part of the city's 200-plus-year history. British comedian John Oliver dedicated a segment of 'Last Week Tonight' to the dispute, launched a merchandise website featuring a knockoff 'Buc-off' logo and a squirrel mascot named Mr. Nutterbutter, and the hashtag #boycottbucees trended on X. A second Buc-ee's Ohio location has already been approved to open in 2028.
'I love Buc-ee's, but I don't plan on going back until they start making better business decisions,' said Austin Collins, 32, a project manager from Fairborn, who visited Beaver's Mini Mart specifically to protest the lawsuit. He called targeting a beaver-named business in a city called Beavercreek 'a little spiteful.'
CEO Times' read: Trademark protection is a legitimate property right, and Buc-ee's is entitled to defend its brand in court — that is how free enterprise is supposed to work. But the market has already voted here. When a GoFundMe raises $69,000 in days, a city council passes a resolution, and a national comedian builds a merchandise site off your lawsuit, the reputational cost has likely exceeded whatever brand dilution a small-town mini mart could ever cause. Capital rewards clear rules, but it also rewards judgment. Buc-ee's built a loyal following on clean restrooms and good brisket; it would be a shame to trade that goodwill for a legal win that the court of public opinion has already decided.
