Cincinnati apparel brand sells merch to fund Ohio mini-mart's legal fight against Buc-ee's

Cincy Shirts, a Cincinnati-based apparel company co-owned by comedian Josh Sneed and artist Darin Overholser, has launched a t-shirt and hat that direct all sales to the legal fund of Beaver's Mini Mart, a neighborhood store in Beavercreek, Ohio. The items were introduced after Buc-ee's filed a federal lawsuit on July 28, alleging that the mini-mart’s beaver logo could confuse customers despite the store having no fuel pumps and being located far from the nearest interstate.

"I don't know why they would sue a small business like mine," store owner Vik Boparai told The Enquirer. "I have two kids and this store is how I feed them."

The lawsuit claims the mini-mart’s red-lettered signage featuring a smiling beaver may mislead consumers into thinking it is affiliated with the larger chain. Beaver's Mini Mart has operated at 1592 Hanes Road for more than two decades, predating Buc-ee's expansion into Ohio, which began in 2018.

Cincy Shirts’ product descriptions characterize the legal dispute as “as reasonable as a beaver in a business suit” and suggest the mini-mart is being “steamrolled by a certain giant with a very familiar-looking mascot.” Proceeds from each shirt and hat are pledged to the store’s defense fund.

Buc-ee's has a history of trademark lawsuits against smaller businesses with animal mascots, including cases in Missouri and Texas, and has previously settled many of those actions. The chain did not respond to a request for comment.