Ohio governor calls Buc-ee’s lawsuit against Beaver’s Mini Mart absurd
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called the lawsuit by Texas convenience store chain Buc-ee’s against the small Beaver’s Mini Mart in the city of Beavercreek “absurd.” The company alleges trademark infringement and claims that the local business’s beaver logo is too similar to its signature mascot. This was reported by Fortune.
Buc-ee’s filed the lawsuit in federal court in Ohio in late July and requested a jury trial. This came four months after the chain opened its first store in Ohio, located less than a half-hour drive from Beaver’s Mini Mart.
Dispute over the logos
The Buc-ee’s logo depicts a beaver’s head with large front teeth, wearing a red cap against a yellow background. Beaver’s Mini Mart’s mascot, according to the source, is a full-body smiling beaver waving its paw against a white background.
Buc-ee’s said it learned about Beaver’s Mini Mart after store owner Vic Boparai filed to register the trade name on October 23. According to the company, the business, registered in 2017, changed its name from Hanes Road Carryout to Beaver’s Mini Mart in January 2025. Buc-ee’s claims it repeatedly tried to contact Boparai but received no response, so it went to court.
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Boparai himself thanked the community and people across the country for supporting his business and other small enterprises, without commenting on the lawsuit’s arguments. A store visitor, 32-year-old project manager Austin Collins, said he does not plan to visit Buc-ee’s until the chain makes better business decisions.
City response and support for the store
On August 10, the Beavercreek City Council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing the beaver as a permanent and official part of the city’s more than 200-year history. Before the vote, Bucky Beaver, the mascot of local schools, attended the meeting.
A GoFundMe fundraiser launched in support of Beaver’s Mini Mart raised at least $69,000. Some companies in the Dayton area temporarily changed their logos by adding images of beavers. British comedian John Oliver also mentioned the dispute on Last Week Tonight.
DeWine, who visited and praised the opening of the Buc-ee’s store in the Dayton area in April, told reporters that the lawsuit was absurd because it concerns Beavercreek.
