monday's mulling: david vs. goliath

Ohio’s first Buc-ee’s opened April 6th in Huber Heights, Ohio.

The travel center is gargantuan…about 74,000 square feet, has more than 100 fueling positions, is open 24 hours a day, and has all the Buc-ee’s staples — brisket, jerky, Beaver Nuggets, and those famously clean bathrooms. The opening? It was absolutely massive. City officials said it brought in more than a million dollars in sales on opening day, with traffic backing up for miles and miles and miles and area hotels sold out.

But here’s where things get REALLY interesting.

Buc-ee's is suing a long ago established neighborhood establishment, Beaver’s Mini Mart, a convenience store in Beavercreek (12 miles away from its Huber Heights location) for having a cartoon beaver as its logo.  Needless to say, it's not gone over well.

Why is Bucc-ee’s doing this?

The beaver.

Buc-ee’s states Beaver’s Mini Mart’s cartoon beaver logo, including its eyes, smile and red coloring, could create confusion with the Buc-ee’s brand.

What do you think? Is this enough for trademark infringement?

Beaver’s Mini Mart has been around for decades, and its owner says the business was here before Buc-ee’s ever came to Ohio.

Buc-ee’s brings a beaver mascot to the Dayton area and then finds out there’s a Beavercreek whose mascot is a beaver ever since it was incorporated and wants to sue about the logo. Apparently, there’s room for 100 gas pumps but only one famous beaver? My money's on the little guy.