Missouri Travel Stop Sued by Buc-ees

Missouri residents were excited when Buc-ees opened their massive travel stop brand in Springfield in 2023 just off of I-44 on the northeast side of Springfield. Then, further northeast on 44 you’ll find Barc-ees which just opened in December of 2024 in Marshfield, Mo. as a different style of travel stop venue. Buc-ees is not okay with this.

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Buc-ees is suing Barc-ees for trademark infringement in an effort to keep Barc-ees from using the very similar name and corresponding logo. Buc-ees is also seeking damages from Barc-ees. Buc-ees says that Barc-ees knew what they were purposefully doing when naming their business.

While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, within the world of brands you can’t just name your business something nearly identical to a competitor. Especially when the point is to confuse the customer.

Some may believe that Barc-ees is a more pet friendly off shoot of Buc-ees. It’s not. Others may think somehow the two are the same company. They are not. The potential confusion is the point of the suit.

For what it’s worth, Barc-ees business model is very different from Buc-ees. It is in many ways targeting the pet loving traveler primarily. They have a dog park and dog centered events. They also offer food and beverages along with charging stations. As far as I can tell, they don’t have gas pumps.

Barc-ees is temporarily closed until things get settled with Buc-ees.