Indiana moves closer to first Buc-ee's location. By: Charlotte Burke - June 22, 2026 - Greenwood, IN (GREENWOOD) - Plans for Indiana's first Buc-ee's travel center are moving forward after a rezoning proposal was submitted for a site in Greenwood. The proposal calls for development on an 80-acre site southeast of Interstate 65 and Worthsville Road. Plans include a 74,000-square-foot travel center on a 37-acre portion of the property, along with 120 fueling stations and electric vehicle charging facilities. The rezoning request follows reports last November that Buc-ee's was nearing a deal to purchase the land. The proposal is scheduled to be reviewed by the Greenwood Advisory Plan Commission on June 22. If approved, it would then move to the Greenwood Common Council for consideration. Buc-ee's currently operates 55 locations nationwide, including 36 in Texas. The closest existing locations to Indiana are in Dayton, Ohio, and Richmond, Kentucky. The chain is known for its large travel centers, extensive food and beverage offerings, clean facilities and branded merchandise.

Don't poke the beaver: inside Buc-ee's fight to protect its iconic logo. | Footnotes for this article are available at the end of this page. | Key takeaways. * Buc-ee's has filed federal trademark infringement lawsuits against convenience store chains "Mickey's" and "Teddy's," claiming their animal-logo branding is confusingly similar to its iconic beaver mark. * The cases could impact how aggressively companies can enforce mascot-based branding rights and whether trademark law protects specific logos or broader branding concepts. If you have driven through the Southeast, you have probably seen the smiling beaver perched above a massive roadside gas station. With over 50 stores across 12 states, Buc-ee's has transformed itself from a regional pit stop into a cultural phenomenon. However, the company's most recognizable feature may not be its brisket sandwiches or spotless bathrooms, it may be the cartoon beaver logo that has become synonymous with the brand itself. As shown above, the logo consists of a grinning beaver wearing a red hat against a yellow round background. The logo and beaver-brand are everywhere: highway billboards, gas-pumps, in-store merchandise, and life-sized statues at store entrances. It is backed by numerous federal trademark registrations, many of them incontestable. Given its commercial value and recognition attached to the logo and brand, it is no surprise that Buc-ee's aggressively enforces its trademark rights. Most recently, it has filed two federal lawsuits against regional convenience stores it claims adopted confusingly similar animal mascots whose logos allegedly resemble its iconic beaver mark. These cases give Arnall Golden Gregory LLP insight into how far a business is willing to go to protect the distinctiveness of its brand, prevent consumer confusion, and preserve the commercial strength of a carefully cultivated identity. At the same time, the lawsuits raise an important question at the center of modern trademark law: when does aggressive brand protection become overreach? The Ohio case: Mickey's. In February 2026, Buc-ee's filed a complaint[1] in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against a chain of convenience stores and gas stations called "Mickey's" for federal trademark infringement. Buc-ee's alleged in the complaint that Mickey's "logos incorporate a cartoon animal facing right with wide eyes and a smile, overlaying a round background" and therefore it "closely resembles [Buc-ee's] distinctive logos." The Mickey's logo is shown below. Buc-ee's further alleged that Mickey's "also uses red as a predominant color in its interior and exterior signage, as well as employee uniforms and anthropomorphic representations of its cartoon moose mascot." Accordingly, Buc-ee's claims that consumers are likely to be confused by the similar logo. The georgia case: Teddy's. Similarly, on May 1, 2026, Buc-ee's sued another convenience store called "Teddy's" for federal trademark infringement.[2] Specifically, Buc-ee's alleged that Teddy's brand identity is likely to cause confusion among consumers because its brand "prominently features an anthropomorphic and cartoon representation of a smiling animal that closely resembles a beaver, wearing a hat, with white specular highlights on its eyes, with a solid black nose with a single white specular highlight, showing a glimpse of a red/pink tongue, and with lighter coloration around its mouth, in at least some examples being encased in a contrasting geometric shape." The Teddy's logo is shown below. How courts analyze trademark infringement and consumer confusion claims. Both cases hinge on the central question underlying trademark infringement law: whether consumers are likely to be confused. More specifically, would an ordinary consumer reasonably believe there is some affiliation, sponsorship, or connection between the Mickey's or Teddy's brands and Buc-ee's? Although the precise multi-factor likelihood-of-confusion tests vary slightly by federal circuit, both disputes will likely turn on one factor above all others: the similarity of the marks themselves. At a high level, all three brands feature smiling cartoon animals displayed within circular logo designs, but a closer look reveals substantial differences. The Buc-ee's mark depicts a beaver, while the competing brands use a moose and a koala - distinct animals with noticeably different facial features, shapes, and overall appearances. The logos also differ in their color schemes, artistic styles, and presentation. Still, trademark law does not require strict side-by-side comparison. Courts instead evaluate the "overall commercial impression" created by the marks, asking whether the cumulative similarities outweigh the differences. Even under that broader framework, it is difficult to imagine that a reasonable consumer would genuinely confuse the iconic Buc-ee's beaver with a moose or a koala. If a court nevertheless finds infringement in either case, the decision could significantly expand the practical scope of trademark protection for famous brands. Critics would likely argue that such a ruling comes close to granting Buc-ee's a monopoly over the broader concept of smiling cartoon-animal logos rather than protecting the distinct features of its specific mark. When does trademark enforcement become overreach? Buc-ee's clearly has a strong incentive to protect its intellectual property rights. It owns a widely recognized brand that it has spent decades building. At the same time, the recent lawsuits raise a broader question about the limits of trademark law: can one company effectively claim exclusive rights over the general concept of a smiling cartoon animal mascot for a gas station or convenience store? Ultimately, courts will have to decide whether the structural similarities identified by Buc-ee's amount to actionable infringement. The answer will likely turn on overall commercial impression. If Buc-ee's can show (e.g., through consumer surveys, evidence of actual confusion, or the plain visual similarities themselves) that consumers seeing the Mickey's or Teddy's logos immediately think of Buc-ee's, then the company's claims become significantly stronger. On the other hand, if the differences in the animals, artistic style, branding, and naming are sufficient to dispel confusion, the defendants will likely prevail. What these Buc-ee's trademark cases could mean for brand owners. Either way, Buc-ee's is not taking a passive approach to protecting its brand. By suing early and aggressively, the company is communicating that its iconic beaver logo occupies heavily protected territory and that businesses adopting similar cartoon animal branding should be wary. But at some point, aggressive trademark enforcement stops protecting distinctiveness and starts claiming ownership over ordinary branding concepts. These cases may help clarify where that line is drawn. [1] Buc-ee's, Ltd. v. Coles IP Holdings, LLC, Case No. 3:26-cv-00414-JRK (N.D. Ohio 2026). [2] Buc-ee's, Ltd. v. Teddy's Market, LLC, et al., Case No. 1:26-cv-02476-VMC (N.D. Ga. 2026).

Buc-ee's construction 'rocking and rolling' on first Louisiana store. KEY TAKEAWAYS: * Buc-ee's first Louisiana store in Ruston is ahead of schedule for a 2027 opening * Construction progress includes slab work, buried fuel tanks and upcoming wall installation * Project expected to bring 200 jobs and attract 15,000 vehicles daily * City investing millions in infrastructure upgrades to support development Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker said construction on Buc-ee's first Louisiana store is "rocking and rolling" with a partial slab already in place, fuel tanks buried and the first walls to be raised this month. "They're moving fast," Walker said April 6 in an interview with USA Today Network. Buc-ee's, a freeway phenomenon, officially broke ground last fall on its Ruston store on Interstate 20 off of the Tarbutton Road exit with officials announcing a target opening of April 2027. "They're definitely on schedule - or even ahead of schedule - for next year's opening," Walker said. A second Louisiana Buc-ee's in Lafayette has a 2028 target opening. Buc-ee's founder and CEO Arch "Beaver" Aplin III said his first travel center in Ruston will be a homecoming. Aplin, who opened his first Buc-ee's in Texas in 1982, was raised in Texas but spent summers working at his grandfather's general mercantile store in Harrisonburg, Louisiana, which he said planted the seed for business. "It's our first store in Louisiana; that's a big deal," Aplin said in a previous interview with USA Today Network. "This is where my roots are from, so we're super excited about it." Buc-ee's, with its toothy Beaver mascot, has developed a devoted following among travelers who consider the centers tourism destinations rather than just giant convenience stores with specialty foods, endless rows of gas pumps and pristine bathrooms. Every Buc-ee's has a wide variety of culinary delights like its famous brisket, fudge, jerky and signature Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets, which are similar to caramel popcorn, as well as branded merchandise. Walker said the city has completed it's $8 million project to upgrade the Tarbutton exchange to accommodate Bucee's. "We installed the new traffic lights April 2 for the finishing touches," he said. He said the city will complete a $3 million service road project leading up to Ruston Junior High School on Tarbutton Road this summer to mitigate potential traffic problems during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up of students. Walker said he expects Buc-ee's to draw 15,000 vehicles a day. The mayor said his office is also getting inquiries "every day" from businesses that want to locate near Buc-ee's. Buc-ee's also owns 40 acres adjacent to its campus for which it will market out-parcels. Walker said the travel center is expected to employ 200 workers and generate commerce throughout the city, Lincoln Parish and the northern Louisiana I-20 corridor. "People will stop here in northern Louisiana at the Buc-ee's who have never stopped here before," he said.