The founder and CEO of Buc-ee's has now told his side of the story after his Texas-based chain came under fire nationally for suing a minimart near a newly opened Buc-ee's in Ohio.
In an interview with a Dayton TV station and in a call to the mayor of Huber Heights – where Buc-ee's opened its first Ohio store in April – Buc-ee's owner Arch Aplin said that the mini-mart had tried to file a trademark for "Beavermart" and that Buc-ee's was only trying to defend its trademark.
Huber Heights Mayor Jeff Gore said that he talked with the Buc-ee's owner to discuss "what was actually happening with this lawsuit." The suit prompted social media backlash, a rebellion from local businesses and condemnation from politicians, including Ohio's governor.
In an
Aug. 7 Facebook post, the mayor said that Aplin alleged that Vik Boparai, the owner of Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek, filed to trademark "Beavermart" at the federal level months before Buc-ee's announced its Huber Heights location.
This would have allowed Boparai to open Beavermarts across the country, Gore said in his Facebook post.
No immediate evidence to support Aplin's claim
The Enquirer did not immediately find any trademark filings for "Beavermart" on the United States Patent and Trademark Office site. Nor did the Buc-ee's lawsuit mention any such effort.
The Texas-based gas station chain is under fire for suing Beaver's Mini Mart, a small corner store that has existed in Beavercreek, Ohio, for more than two decades. In the lawsuit, filed July 28, Buc-ee's said its customers may be confused by the mini-mart's logo, which features a smiling beaver standing tall next to the store's name in a red-letter font.
Beaver's Mini Mart is about a 20-minute drive from the Huber Heights Buc-ee's.
'Trademarks exist for a reason'
Aplin, according to Gore, said he had no issues with the mini-mart using the Beaver logo. He was more concerned about the possibility of Beavermarts emerging and violating Buc-ee's trademark.
If Boparai dropped the Beavermart trademark nationally, Aplin said that Buc-ee's would drop its suit, Gore wrote.
"Agree or disagree with what's happening with this, trademarks exist for a reason," Gore wrote on Facebook. "I don't care how big or small you are, you wouldn't want anyone using your name or images to further their business at your expense. Thats why trademarks exist, and it's why attorneys fight over them."
Boparai, Gore and Buc-ee's did not immediately respond to The Enquirer's requests for interviews.
This story may be updated.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Buc-ee's CEO Arch Aplin speaks out on Ohio beaver controversy
