Buc-ee’s has filed a new lawsuit against a Missouri dog park and coffee shop operator, EJL Acquisitions and Home Away From Dog Training, for potential copyright infringement. The company currently operates as “Barc-ee’s,” and offers food and beverage options, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and trinkets, according to Eater Houston.
Buc-ee’s claimed in its court filing that the company used its proprietary branding without authorization in a way that would be misleading to potential customers.
“Defendants’ unauthorized use of the Barc-ee’s mark and the Barc-ee’s logo, which are confusingly similar to the Buc-ee’s trademarks, will allow defendants to receive the benefit of the goodwill built up at the great labor and expense by Buc-ee’s in the Buc-ee’s Trademarks, and further will allow Defendants to gain acceptance for their services and products based on their own merits, but on an association with the reputation and goodwill of Buc-ee’s,” the court filing read.
The nearest Buc-ee’s location is in Springfield, Mo., just a 40 minute drive away from the Barc-ee’s.
The Barc-ee’s logo features a caricature of a smiling dog driving a pink convertible wearing a ball cap, transposed on top of a yellow circle in a similar fashion to the iconic Buc-ee’s beaver logo.
Buc-ee’s claims the logo “copies and/or mimics important aspects” of its patented branding.
Not Their First Rodeo
The Lake Jackson, Texas-based c-store powerhouse is no stranger to legal disputes. It has taken action against Choke Canyon, a convenience store competitor whose logo sported a grinning alligator — a lawsuit that Buc-ee’s won in federal court in 2018.
Its battles have even extended into Mexico, when in 2023, the operator announced that it would take legal action against a chain that had branded itself as “Buk-II’s Super Mercado,” after it went viral on social media.
Additionally, in December 2024, Buc-ee’s filed a lawsuit against a Missouri liquor store branding itself as “Duckees.”
Buc-ee’s accused Duckees of violating its trademarks by adopting a similar logo and using it on in-store merchandise and c-store items.
The photos below were used for comparison in the court filings.
The retailer also settled a similar lawsuit against a Bryan, Texas convenience store known as B&B Grocery back in 2013.
