Poor Buc-ee’s, the gas station/convenience store chain was just minding their billion-dollar business until John Oliver and his merry band of justice-seeking imps shone a light on their overly litigious ways. Namely, their extensive record of aggressively suing smaller businesses with animal mascots — including but not limited to beavers — over trademark infringement. So Oliver turned his own established character, the squirrel Mr. Nutterbutter, into a logo modeled exactly after Buc-ee’s and dared the big beaver to sue him. Buc-ee’s has not taken Oliver up on the challenge (as of this writing), but they have since sued yet another small business, Beaver’s Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio, that’s been there for decades while Buc-ee’s just set up shop in nearby Dayton earlier this year. And that isn’t their only new spot: last week Buc-ee’s CEO Arch Aplin III was onsite in Benton, Arkansas for the grand opening of their 58th location. In his celebratory remarks, Aplin expressed his desire to only expand the franchise in “conservative, business-friendly” states. I’m sure he still welcomes consumers from across the full political spectrum, though.
Arch Aplin III, Buc-ee’s co-founder, president and CEO, was joined by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Sen. Tom Cotton at the grand opening ceremony on Aug. 17, where he touted his company’s expansion opportunities and expressed a preference for opening locations in “conservative, business-friendly states.”
“We have a lot of opportunities. We’re growing. We’re building in a lot of places, but when you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference,” Aplin said in a video shared by Huckabee Sanders on social media. “And I’m starting to realize life’s too short to try to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing versus a place like this, where people do appreciate what you’re building.”
“So that leadership, that concept, that idea of conservative, business-friendly, family-oriented concept works so much better if it trickles down from the very leadership,” Aplin said. “From the very top at the governor’s office, at the congressman, at the senator, at the mayor (and) the representatives.”
Buc-ee’s opened its first locations in Ohio and Arizona this year. In 2025, it opened its first location in Virginia, and a year earlier, it debuted in Colorado. The company anticipates adding inaugural locations in Louisiana, Kansas and Wisconsin by the end of 2027.
The travel center, founded in 1982, has become one of the Lone Star State’s most recognized exports. The sprawling gas stations have a cult-like following centered on their preternaturally clean restrooms and unique culinary offerings.
…Buc-ee’s has drawn controversy in recent weeks for a string of lawsuits tied to its trademarks.
Most recently, the company sued Beaver’s Mini Mart, a small corner store in the middle of a neighborhood in Beavercreek, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton.
The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported that despite the mini mart having no gas pumps and being miles from the nearest interstate, Buc-ee’s says its customers may be confused by the business’s logo, which features a smiling beaver standing tall next to the store’s name in a red-letter font.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has said Buc-ee’s should drop its “ridiculous” lawsuit against Beaver’s Mini Mart.
Gee Mr. Aplin, that’s a pretty strong rebuke from conservative Governor Mike DeWine! I guess some people believe “business-friendly” includes being friendly to small businesses that have been part of the fabric of local communities since long before the fancy new beaver waltzed into town. And not for nothing, but if anyone is likely to be “confused” by the mascots in question, it’s for sure gonna be Buc-ee’s — that guy looks more like a chipmunk than a beaver! The comment I found really asinine, though, was Aplin saying, “And I’m starting to realize life’s too short to try to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing…” Was the world’s tiniest violin playing nearby when he said that? It tracks based on what we’ve heard from Aplin before, the unique billionaire victim mentality. Plus, we’re talking about gas stations and large convenience stores with a substantial food section. Hello, Costco exists! If the most distinguishing feature of Buc-ee’s is their “preternaturally clean restrooms,” I propose they redesign their mascot to be a sparkling toilet bowl. They’ll save a fortune in legal fees — you’re welcome, Buc-ee’s!
Good to know so I will avoid states that have this franchise 🤷🏻♀️ I’ve personally never been to one and never seen this franchise and I’m well traveled having driven through 75% of the States.
I live in California so, yippee I’ll probably never see one of these monstrosities!
Never heard of them before they became a phenomenon during the World Cup. But “business friendly” sounds like code for tax-cheating’ wage thievin’ foolery.
They just put the first one in Virginia just outside Harrisonburg…which is pretty blue (in an ocean of red, but we just elected spanberger so…). Their famous brisket tastes like a cheap pleather shoe BTW. I wasn’t planning on going back because…I don’t get the appeal, but this sealed it for me.
They are an eye sore. It’s like a Walmart on steroids mixed in with some Dollywood (no offense to Dolly) and cheap traveling carnivals. And way over priced. We avoid them when traveling through the areas that have them. BUT I will go in to use the bathroom and leave …because I use their water while not leaving them a dime.
That said, they can’t build in urban areas because the footprint they leave is large.
He needs to stay out of Purple Wisconsin. We have our own excellent fast food chain, Culver’s, where the bathrooms are always clean. No need for whatever garbage he’s selling.
Why can’t we have nice things, Buc-ee’s is one of the consistently safer rest stops on our long road trips. The food is good, and I’m sorry but how many cost cos do you think are available off I 40 in the middle of nowhere? And are open all hours?
You left out that his son got busted secretly videoing mansion guests (personal guests at their personal home) using the restroom.
That’s important. No judgment at all for stopping someplace clean and safe on the road.
Yeah, as someone who’s driven across the country several times, through the South, the Costco remark made little sense. These Buc-ees are rest stops off the freeway; me, I prefer a Love’s. Never stopped at a Buc-ees & now never will.
Side note: in Louisiana rest stops have casinos, too. Weird. And don’t get me started on the drive-through daiquiris places.
Part of the reason they are probably sticking with Red states is that the co-founder, Don Wasek, has a 29-year-old son named Mitchell, who was indicted in 2024 on 28 counts of invasive visual recording for having a hidden camera in his bathroom. And in 2025, he was arrested again for third-degree felony possession or promotion of images of children, which stemmed from searching the materials they found in the initial arrest. One victim was identified as a 7-year-old girl and there were several other images that investigators say contained “images of juvenile females appearing to be between five and 18 years old.”
Why am I not surprised?
He doesn’t seem to grasp that those of us on the left understand what he’s actually saying: white customers. And as we do hear him loudly and clearly, we shall avoid them like a plague of locusts. Just because he’s doing business in a conservative state, doesn’t mean everyone on the highway is as well. And to paraphrase Dionne Warwick, we can “Drive on by.”
This
Preach.
I simply don’t get the love for this mediocre chain. I will take my business (including my piss-ness) elsewhere.
I don’t get it, either. It’s like hell on Earth to me.
I’m disappointed but not surprised by the leadership. You can kinda tell what way they lean just by the wal-mart-esque stuff available. That being said, it sucks cause there aren’t a lot of places open at 3am while you’re on a road trip! I’ve stopped at a few locations in the middle of the night- there’s always hot food, gas, and clean restrooms, not to mention a well lit parking lot that I feel comfortable walking my dog across to the pet area. I like to use my wallet to express how I feel, but there really isn’t an alternative for those times.
I hear you, I live in a very rural community which is literally 4 hours from anywhere and the few state run rest areas are closed in the winter. Having a safe place to stop is vital but honestly, I’d rather not have that ick anywhere around here.
I’m from the Dayton area, and the local response has been glorious! So many local (and across the state) businesses have stepped up in solidarity with Beaver’s Mini Mart by adding beavers to their own logos and ads. One of the funniest was the one from our longtime local ambulance-chasing law firm that changed its slogan from “Get the tiger on your side” to “Get the beaver on your side!” Businesses and individuals have organized fundraisers to benefit Beaver’s Mini Mart to help with their legal fees.
I’m not sure if this is the typical response in communities where Buc-ees targets small businesses, but it needs to be the template.
I like it! Don’t mess with the Beaver! Oh, wait, this is better: don’t beef with the Beaver!
I don’t have to worry because I live in California so he isn’t going to expand to here (although we have more conservative white folks than I would like) but we do have Chick-fil-A, In & Out Burger and Hobby Lobby so I apply the “drive on by” practice to them.
Buc-ee’s needs to stay out of Colorado then. We’re a purple state.
Disclaimer: this is not a statement to criticise America.
I’m so dismayed to read so many comments about safety and people finding places to feel safe at on road trips. What an indictment of the world we live in.
I haven’t done major road trips across the USA (have done some trips around north East). I’ve mostly driven through Europe, the U.K. and Australia. I’ve never felt (to my recollection) unsafe at a garage/gas station. Admittedly I haven’t driven through the night, except once in Oz.
As to this company suing the little independent stores and succeeding because they are a behemoth with $$$$ (we know how it goes, little people across the world largely cannot fight the giant corporations), revolting as usual.
So what I mean by safe is, it’s lit up, there’s families going in and out at all times and it’s clean. You aren’t going into a building with only one person, in a gas station where there’s no one else visible for miles. There’s also not people hanging out in the parking lot, just watching you and not doing anything else. That’s largely because they don’t allow big rig semi trucks to gas up or use the property, so the folks who support some of the more objectionable truck driver habits aren’t there.
And then there’s the standard rest stops maintained by the state. Those can be pretty isolated–they’re not placed near cities themselves, because they’re not needed there, they’re in the middle of nowhere; and in the middle of the night you never know who’s hanging around. I’ve never had a problem, but I always make sure to park in a well-lit area and go in & out as quickly as possible. Mostly, I try to be off the road before nightfall, but in some states it’s hard to make that work.
He wants a better chance to get his son off of any future CSAM convictions just in case he beats the latest case against him. Conservative states may give him a better chance.
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/mitchell-wasek-felony-possession-of-child-pornography-charge
Well, if he only wanted to put his stores in red states, then he goofed by putting a store in Arizona, which has a governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and two senators who are all Democrats!
New York City is marked safe!! Though upstate NY can get pretty red.
As a Canadian, we will be suing Buc’ee’s for co-opting our national mascot. ☠️😎🇨🇦
There needs to be a limit on how many times a person or company can sue
I’m in Texas and only been to a Buc-ees a couple of times. To be fair I don’t tend to go on long road trips within the state itself. It’s a pretty over the top place but reliable and convenient. I didn’t realize they were so litigious, yikes.
Red states and Buc-ees are a good combination so he should just stick with this plan.
They can have their fancy gas stations and their Cracker Barrel’s too FFs
Exactly what I was thinking!
Bucky can’t afford California
I’m going to assume ‘business-friendly’ means anti-union & low corporate taxes. I’ve never stopped at a Buc-ees, never even saw them til I started working in & then later living in the South. I’ll take a Love’s gas station any day, thank you very much.
Never been to one. We’re good with our Wawa monopoly here, thanks.