This story was updated to correct Larkin Vonalt’s title at Rabbit Hole Books and Zach Upton’s title with the city.
A lawsuit over one beaver logo has unleashed a whole colony of them.
As Buc-ee’s battles a Beavercreek mini mart in court, more than 20 area business owners have changed their logos to include the city’s namesake animal. The large amphibious rodent can be seen in different temporary logos holding a beer, a spray tan gun, grilling up ribs and even driving a car in front of a pizza parlor.
After the viral gas station chain Buc-ee’s sued Beaver’s Mini Mart in the Ohio city of Beavercreek, claiming that the corner store’s logo could be confused with its own big-toothed rodent logo, local businesses created an all-out beaver boom. Even Cincinnati businesses joined in.
Shannon Teague’s bakery in Beavercreek, seven miles east of Dayton, is right around the corner from the mini mart. The Cake, Hope, and Love owner posted a new logo including a beaver and has made t-shirts and cookies for the occasion. Teague will give half of the t-shirt profits to Vik Boparai, the owner of the mini mart.
Teague described the lawsuit as a big dog going after a little dog. “We just want them to know they’re not alone,” Teague said. “Beavercreek is just great in always coming together.”
Alongside Teague’s business, restaurants, shops, and even Fishbowl at The Banks in Cincinnati have also posted new logos incorporating beavers.
“It has been surprising, and welcoming, to see other small businesses from outside Beavercreek step in as well to show their support,” said Beavercreek Vice Mayor Zach Upton.
Rabbit Hole Books director Larkin Vonalt has joined the fray of business representatives standing with Boparai. The bookstore replaced its rabbit with a beaver in its logo and Facebook profile picture.
“It is patently unfair for a large corporation to use their essentially unlimited resources to grind small businesses into the ground through litigation,” Vonalt said.
Beaver’s Mini Mart owner comments on community support
Boparai put a letter on the store’s front door to thank the community for their support. There’s so many supportive comments online that he can’t respond to them all. “I don’t want to miss any customers who are giving us a positive response,” he said.
“We believe small businesses should be able to operate without being bullied by large corporations,” Boparai’s letter said. “We are standing up for our rights and will fight this lawsuit all the way.”
Since the lawsuit went public, Boparai said he’s had customers from all over the western part of the state. Some came from Columbus, 74 miles away from Beaver’s Mini Mart.
Nearby village Yellow Spring has also shown some support, taunting Buc-ees by posting a photo of a beaver to the village’s Facebook, which included the caption,” We ride at dawn!”
“I have community support. I’m really happy for that,” Boparai said. “Community is stronger than money, you know.”
Community member Deborah Quach created a GoFundMe to help pay Boparai’s legal fees and prevent the community from losing this local business. In just two days, the GoFundMe has raised more than $5,000 of its $7,000 goal.
John Oliver creates his own rodent logo, calls out Buc-ee’s
On the July 26 episode of “Last Week Tonight,” host John Oliver critiqued Buc-ee’s for its tendency to sue small companies with cartoon animal logos, whether they resemble their grinning beaver or not. Oliver dared Buc-ee’s to pick on a company its own size, offering up his show and the HBO network as a potential target.
Oliver reintroduced a cartoon logo of Mr. Nutterbutter, a 7-foot-tall squirrel mascot created for a 2017 segment. The new Mr. Nutterbutter logo looks similar to the Buc-ee’s logo. The show had multiple products displayed with the grinning rodent logo.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Buc-ee’s sued a mini mart. Businesses are striking back with beaver logos
Reporting by Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
