Buc-ee's is back in court again—this time targeting a small Georgia convenience store over claims that its mascot and branding are getting a little too close to beaver territory.
According to a trademark lawsuit filed May 1 in federal court in Georgia, and obtained by USA Today, Buc-ee’s alleges that Teddy’s Market, a two-location convenience store chain, copied key elements of its branding strategy, including its use of a smiling cartoon animal mascot. The Texas-based travel center giant claims that Teddy’s logo borrows multiple visual details from the Buc-ee’s beaver, including facial features, coloring, and overall presentation.
Buc-ee’s is also arguing that the names themselves are too similar. In the complaint, the company notes that “Buc-ee’s” and “Teddy’s” are both six-letter possessive names ending with the same “eez” sound, which its attorneys claim could confuse customers about whether the businesses are connected.
The lawsuit asks the court to force Teddy’s to stop using its current branding, destroy any allegedly infringing materials, and hand over profits connected to the disputed imagery. Buc-ee’s is also seeking triple damages and wants the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reject several trademark applications filed by Teddy’s last year.
Teddy’s owner, Karan Ahuja, told local media he disagrees with the allegations but declined to discuss the case further because of the ongoing litigation.
The filing is the latest chapter in Buc-ee’s increasingly aggressive campaign to protect its brand identity as the company expands nationwide. What started as a Texas roadside chain in 1982 has exploded into one of the country’s most recognizable convenience-store brands, with massive travel centers, cult-favorite snacks like Beaver Nuggets, and an instantly recognizable mascot helping fuel its rise.
At the same time, the chain has become almost as well known for its lawsuits as its brisket sandwiches. Recently, Buc-ee’s sued Ohio chain Mickey Mart—now rebranded as Mickey’s—arguing that its smiling cartoon moose logo was too visually similar to the Buc-ee’s beaver.
Mickey’s fired back in court filings with the now-viral line: “A moose is not a beaver.”
That lawsuit is still ongoing, but it is far from the only one. Buc-ee’s has also pursued legal action against several other businesses, including Barc-ee’s, Duckees, Choke Canyon, Super Fuels, and Mexican store Buk-II’s Super Marcado. The company argues that copycat branding weakens its identity as it pushes into new states.
