Buc-ee’s Sues Georgia’s Teddy’s Market Over Its Beaver Mascot and the Bear at the Center of It All

In a trademark lawsuit filed on May 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Buc-ee’s alleges that Teddy’s Market, a convenience store with two locations in the state, copied both its mascot and branding strategies. Buc-ee’s says that Teddy’s built its brand around a smiling cartoon animal that closely resembles its own beaver — right down to the white eye highlights, black nose, hint of pink tongue, lighter coloring around the mouth, and the use of a red-accented geometric shape as the logo frame. Teddy’s owner disputes every allegation. The case is now in federal court, and a third Teddy’s location is already in the pipeline — directly along the same Georgia highway corridor where Buc-ee’s operates.

Quick Facts: Buc-ee’s v. Teddy’s Market

Field	Detail
Plaintiff	Buc-ee’s Ltd. LP
Defendant	Teddy’s Market; Karan Ahuja (owner and operator)
Alleged Violation	Federal trademark infringement and unfair competition — Lanham Act
Court & Jurisdiction	U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Lawsuit Filed	May 1, 2026
Teddy’s Locations	Canton, Georgia (opened November 2024); Ball Ground, Georgia (opened January 2025); Decatur, Georgia (planned — land leased, LLC formed)
Buc-ee’s Georgia Locations	Calhoun; two additional locations; fourth location under construction
Settlement Status	No settlement — early litigation phase
Teddy’s Legal Representation	TBD — no attorney listed in court records as of May 6, 2026
Last Updated	May 17, 2026

What Buc-ee’s Says Teddy’s Copied — and Why It Filed Now

Buc-ee’s is not just upset about a logo. It is upset about a pattern.

The lawsuit specifically points to similarities between the two mascots including white eye highlights, a black nose, lighter coloring around the mouth, a visible pink tongue, and the fact that both mascots appear within a red-accented geometric logo shape. Teddy’s mascot is a cartoon bear. Buc-ee’s mascot is its iconic beaver. Buc-ee’s argues that drivers passing these stores at highway speed will not have time to distinguish between the two.

The name argument is just as pointed. Buc-ee’s notes in the complaint that “Buc-ee’s” and “Teddy’s” are both six-letter possessive names ending with the same “eez” sound, which its attorneys claim could confuse customers about whether the businesses are connected.

The timing matters too. Teddy’s opened its first location in Canton, Georgia, in November 2024, followed by a second store in Ball Ground just two months later in January 2025 — both situated near Buc-ee’s location in Calhoun. A third Teddy’s store is already in the works for Decatur, along the same Georgia highway corridor where all three Buc-ee’s locations in the state are located. Teddy’s owner admitted under oath in March 2026 that land had already been leased and that an LLC had been formed for that third location.

The lawsuit states that “directly-competing gas station convenience store services in an overlapping geographic area is likely to deceive, confuse, and mislead purchasers and prospective purchasers into believing that Defendants’ goods and services are authorized by, associated with, sponsored by, and/or endorsed by Buc-ee’s when, in fact, they are not.”

What Buc-ee’s Is Asking the Court to Do

Buc-ee’s is not asking for a quiet resolution. It wants Teddy’s gone — as a brand.

The company is asking the court to force Teddy’s to drop its current branding entirely, destroy all infringing materials, hand over profits made under the disputed brand, and pay triple damages as allowed under federal trademark law. Buc-ee’s is also asking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reject the four trademark applications Teddy’s filed in May 2024.

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Triple damages under the Lanham Act — the federal trademark statute — are available when infringement is found to be willful. That is the legal theory Buc-ee’s is building toward: that Teddy’s did not accidentally create a similar-looking mascot, but deliberately designed its brand to trade on Buc-ee’s recognition with Georgia road travelers.

Teddy’s owner Karan Ahuja told CBS News Atlanta he disagrees with the allegations in the lawsuit and declined further comment due to the pending litigation.

This case follows the same legal playbook Buc-ee’s used to shut down Barc-ee’s in Missouri. Barc-ee’s, a Missouri-based coffee and food shop with a similar name and logo, closed its doors in April 2025 after Buc-ee’s sued. For context on how courts weigh brand confusion in cases where a small business and a national chain share a market corridor, see our breakdown of the Lululemon vs. Costco “dupe” trademark lawsuit.

Are You Affected by the Buc-ee’s vs. Teddy’s Lawsuit?

This is not a class action. No consumers are plaintiffs. There is no claim form and no settlement fund.

This case matters to a specific audience: small business owners, franchisees, and entrepreneurs in the convenience store or travel center space who operate anywhere near a Buc-ee’s location. Here is what the Teddy’s lawsuit signals:

• You may face a similar claim if your store uses a smiling cartoon animal mascot inside a geometric logo shape — particularly within the same highway corridor as a Buc-ee’s location
• You may face a similar claim if your brand name is a two-syllable possessive ending in an “eez” or similar phonetic sound
• Teddy’s dispute is not unique — Buc-ee’s has pursued legal action against Barc-ee’s, Duckees, Choke Canyon, Mickey Mart (Ohio), and several other businesses in recent years
• You are NOT directly part of this lawsuit unless you are named as a defendant

If you own a business that has received a cease-and-desist or trademark threat from Buc-ee’s or any major chain, consult a consumer rights lawyer or intellectual property attorney immediately. Buc-ee’s has a documented history of pursuing these cases aggressively — and winning some of them by forcing competitors to rebrand or close before a court even rules.

Buc-ee’s Pattern of Trademark Enforcement — The Bigger Picture

The Teddy’s lawsuit did not come out of nowhere. Buc-ee’s has become almost as well known for its lawsuits as its brisket sandwiches, having pursued legal action against Barc-ee’s, Duckees, Choke Canyon, Super Fuels, and Mexican store Buk-II’s Super Marcado — the company argues that copycat branding weakens its identity as it pushes into new states.

Founded in 1982 and now operating more than 50 locations across 12 states, Buc-ee’s holds multiple federal trademark registrations and argues its brand — celebrated enough that the Georgia Legislature declared March 20 “Buc-ee’s Day” in 2025 — is being deliberately exploited.

The most high-profile current parallel is the Mickey Mart case in Ohio. Buc-ee’s sued Ohio chain Mickey Mart — now rebranded as Mickey’s — arguing that its smiling cartoon moose logo was too visually similar to the Buc-ee’s beaver. Mickey’s fired back in court filings with the now-viral line: “A moose is not a beaver.” That lawsuit is still ongoing.

Teddy’s bear is not a beaver either. Whether that distinction is legally sufficient is exactly what the Northern District of Georgia will now have to decide. For a historical look at how courts have handled similar mascot and character trademark battles, see our deep dive into the Universal v. Nintendo Donkey Kong trademark case and how courts define brand confusion.

Buc-ee’s v. Teddy’s Market — Case Timeline

Milestone	Date
Teddy’s Market files four trademark applications with USPTO	May 2024
Teddy’s mascot registered as a trademark	November 2024
First Teddy’s Market opens in Canton, Georgia	November 2024
Second Teddy’s Market opens in Ball Ground, Georgia	January 2025
Teddy’s owner admits under oath land leased and LLC formed for Decatur location	March 2026
Buc-ee’s files trademark infringement lawsuit in Northern District of Georgia	May 1, 2026
Teddy’s owner disputes allegations — declines comment	May 2026
No attorney yet listed for Teddy’s in court records	As of May 6, 2026
Next scheduled hearing	TBD — case in early stages
Expected resolution	TBD — no settlement discussions reported

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a class action lawsuit against Buc-ee’s or Teddy’s Market?

No. This is a business-to-business trademark infringement lawsuit. No consumers are plaintiffs. There is no claim form and no settlement fund open to the public.

What law is Buc-ee’s suing under?

Buc-ee’s is suing under the federal Lanham Act, which governs trademark infringement and unfair competition. The company is seeking triple damages as permitted under federal trademark law — a remedy available when infringement is found to be willful.

Is Teddy’s Market being forced to close?

Not yet. As of May 17, 2026, both Teddy’s locations remain open. No court has issued an injunction requiring Teddy’s to stop operating or rebrand. That outcome, if it happens, would come only after a court ruling or a settlement agreement.

Has Buc-ee’s won similar lawsuits before?

The results have been mixed, but the threat alone has been effective. Barc-ee’s closed its doors in April 2025 after Buc-ee’s sued it over a similar name and logo. The Mickey Mart / Mickey’s case in Ohio is still active and contested.

What exactly does Teddy’s mascot look like?

Teddy’s Market’s mascot is a cartoon bear — an ambiguous anthropomorphic creature with white eye highlights, a black nose, lighter coloring around the mouth, a visible pink tongue, positioned inside a red-accented geometric logo shape. Buc-ee’s says these specific features mirror its own beaver mascot closely enough to confuse highway drivers.

Can Teddy’s fight back and win?

Yes — Mickey Mart tried exactly that and the case is still ongoing. The central legal question in any trademark infringement case is likelihood of confusion, which courts analyze by looking at the strength of the original mark, similarity between the marks, proximity of the businesses, and evidence of actual consumer confusion. Teddy’s bear versus Buc-ee’s beaver is a genuinely contested visual question that a court will ultimately have to resolve if the case goes to trial.

Sources & References

• USA Today / CBS News Atlanta: Buc-ee’s Sues Georgia’s Teddy’s Market Over Beaver Mascot Dispute, May 2026
• Courthouse News Service / Atlanta Journal-Constitution: reporting on complaint filed May 1, 2026, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding your particular situation, consult a qualified intellectual property or trademark attorney.

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against court filings and verified news reporting. Last Updated: May 17, 2026.