The Lake Jackson-based company and Kingsley Blancher jointly announced in a Friday court filing that they had reached a settlement agreement and moved to dismiss all claims, with each side bearing its own costs. No details of the settlement were disclosed.
When Buc-ee’s originally filed the suit in May 2025 in federal court in San Antonio, it didn’t know Blancher’s identity. It alleged that a John Doe, doing business as Crab.Rangoons2, was selling infringing merchandise on Shopify and previously on Etsy.
Buc-ee’s got court authority to subpoena the websites and Meta Platforms, owner of Instagram, where the allegedly counterfeit merchandise was promoted, in an effort to learn Blancher’s identity.
After the filing of the complaint, the San Antonio Express-News reached out to the defendant through a contact page on Crab Ragoons’ Shopify page, but got no response. The alleged offending merchandise appeared to have been taken down after the message was sent.
Buc-ee’s amended the suit in November to add Blancher’s name, albeit with his first and last name reversed.
In an answer to the complaint, Blancher denied Buc-ee’s allegations and offered up various defenses — including that there was no likelihood of confusing his merchandise and the retailer’s.
Messages on the allegedly offending merchandise appear to have been written in Persian.
One sticker, according to a translation using artificial intelligence, says “Lala Allah Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” and “jihad” and “Monotheism.” Another says, “There is no god, God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” It also says “jihad” and “Tawhid,” which means “the oneness of God” in Islam.
In its amended complaint, Buc-ee’s alleged the defendant’s bandannas referenced its famous brisket: the “fresh brisket on the board headband.”
Buc-ee’s sought to recover unspecified damages for the alleged counterfeiting, infringement, unfair competition and unjust enrichment. It also wanted the damages tripled.
The two sides engaged in initial settlement discussions after the suit was filed and exchanged written offers in April. The parties continued negotiating in the ensuing months before finalizing an agreement.
Neither Austin attorney Alexandra Bistline, who represents Buc-ee’s, nor Robert McRae, a San Antonio lawyer representing Blancher, immediately responded to a request for comment.
Buc-ee’s has waged numerous trademark fights to protect its brand in recent years. It sued an Ohio convenience store last month, alleging its cartoon beaver mascot too closely resembles the Texas chain’s furry-faced logo.