Buc‑ee’s is hauling an Ohio convenience chain into federal court, claiming a rival’s moose mascot is riding a little too close to its famous beaver. The Texas-based travel‑stop giant says Coles IP Holdings, the company behind Mickey’s and Mickey Mart stores, rolled out a mascot and new logo that are so similar they could confuse customers. The suit lands just weeks before Buc‑ee’s first Ohio superstore opens in early April.
The company filed its trademark complaint on Feb. 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleging violations of the Lanham Act and seeking injunctive relief and damages. The case is listed as 3:2026cv00414 in public court records, according to Justia Dockets & Filings.
In the complaint, Buc‑ee’s lawyers argue that Mickey’s name, mascot and new mark have already caused confusion with the Buc‑ee’s beaver, including among shoppers looking at branded merchandise. They point to visual similarities such as a smiling animal face inside a circular or oval emblem and a comparable color palette, and say those choices blur the distinct look Buc‑ee’s has built over years of highway domination, according to Cleveland.com.
Coles IP Holdings is based in Milan, Ohio, and operates Mickey’s and Mickey Mart locations across north‑central Ohio, where “Mickey the Moose” is a familiar face on storefronts and signage. The company holds multiple Mickey and Mickey Mart trademark registrations and applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office dating from 2019 through 2022, and it filed a separate application this year for a mascot‑only mark, according to USPTO filings.
Buc‑ee’s Ohio showdown is not a one‑off. The beaver brand has recently gone after several smaller operators and merch sellers it says copied or came too close to its cartoon styling, pursuing both federal lawsuits and challenges at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in other disputes over mascot‑style artwork, as detailed by prior coverage in Fox Business.
The timing is hard to miss. Buc‑ee’s is slated to open its first Ohio travel center in Huber Heights on April 6, 2026, a massive roadside operation the company says will feature dozens of gas pumps and a wave of new jobs. With the brand about to plant its flag in the state, any risk of shoppers mixing up mascots suddenly carries higher stakes, according to MySanAntonio.
Legal stakes and next steps
The courtroom brawl did not start from scratch. In August 2025, Buc‑ee’s asked the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to cancel Coles IP’s Mickey Mart registrations, an administrative case that remains pending. The new federal lawsuit runs alongside that TTAB cancellation bid, giving Buc‑ee’s a two‑front strategy as both the board and a federal judge weigh how close is too close under trademark law, according to TTABVUE / USPTO.
What Mickey’s has said
Mickey’s public materials lean heavily on the chain’s north‑central Ohio roots, local sponsorships and community presence; the company did not issue an immediate public response to press inquiries, according to its site and related reporting. Recent trademark records show Coles IP working to register updated marks over the past year, according to Mickey's and USPTO.report.
For now, the case is in its early phases. Buc‑ee’s has put its allegations on the record; Coles IP will next have the chance to answer the complaint or try to get it tossed. While that plays out, the TTAB matter continues on a parallel track, with both forums ultimately focused on the same core question: whether a beaver and a moose are, at least in branding terms, a little too hard to tell apart.
