Buc-ee’s has changed tactics in its trademark lawsuit against Beaver’s Mini Mart in Beavercreek, pivoting away from arguing that the small Ohio corner store’s cartoon beaver mascot looks too much like its own and toward an argument about the store’s name, according to a new federal court filing.
In its original complaint, filed this summer, the Texas-based gas station giant argued that the smile of the mini mart’s beaver mascot and the logo’s red lettering were likely to confuse consumers who might not be able to tell the two brands apart. The amended complaint, filed on October 20, only references the Beaver’s Mini Mart character to establish when it first appeared.
Buc-ee’s is still arguing that the corner store intentionally picked its name to ride the coattails of Buc-ee’s reputation, but its case is now based on the use of the trademarked word “Beaver’s.” Buc-ee’s applied to trademark the word in 2017 for retail store services featuring convenience store items and gasoline, according to the filing. Beaver’s Mini Mart does not have a gas station.
The new filing also states that Buc-ee’s gave the corner store three cease-and-desist letters before suing it, undercutting the store’s public argument that no one reached out before the lawsuit was filed.
In a statement sent to The Enquirer on October 23, Beaver’s Mini Mart said it is disappointed that Buc-ee’s did not drop the lawsuit altogether and appreciates the community’s continued support. The store did not address Buc-ee’s claim that it reached out before the lawsuit was filed.
The lawsuit has drawn nationwide backlash since it was filed. More than 20 local businesses changed their logos in solidarity with the corner store, adding beavers holding everything from a beer to a spray tan gun, and comedian John Oliver mocked Buc-ee’s strategy of suing small businesses with cartoon animal logos on his HBO show, daring the company to sue his network instead.
The Beavercreek store, incorporated in 2017 and previously known as Hanes Road Carryout, took the Beaver’s Mini Mart name in January 2025. The case, in the nation’s most closely watched mascot dispute, now turns on a name rather than on whose beaver looks like whose.