Cold Stone Creamery is leveraging the DC Studios and Warner Bros. theatrical release of Supergirl — hitting screens nationwide June 26 — to move limited-time product at its roughly 1,000 U.S. scoop shops. The promotion runs May 27 through July 21, 2026, giving the chain an eight-week window to convert moviegoers and families into dessert-occasion visits.
The LTO lineup includes a Supergirl-branded Cosmic Creation™ and a coordinating shake, both positioned around the "bold and fearless" character identity of the DC hero. Cold Stone did not disclose suggested retail pricing, but the chain's Creations typically trade in the $5–$8 range depending on size and add-ins. The shake addition follows a broader industry pattern of premiumizing the beverage daypart — a lever that operators across the channel, from quick-service to convenience, have pulled aggressively over the past two years to defend ticket averages against traffic softness.
For c-store retailers watching the dispensed-beverage and frozen-treat categories, the Cold Stone promotion is a useful data point. Franchise and chain dessert concepts increasingly use IP-backed LTOs to generate earned media and drive trial without broad media spend — a tactic that translates directly to foodservice program planning at the forecourt. Operators running soft-serve, milkshake, or hand-dipped programs can draw a straight line from Cold Stone's playbook: short windows (six to eight weeks), recognizable IP, and SKU simplicity keep execution manageable and waste low.
The entertainment co-branding angle also fits a documented consumer behavior shift. NACS data has consistently shown that c-store inside-sales mix skews toward impulse and treat categories in summer months, when fuel stops overlap with family travel occasions. A limited-time dessert tied to a high-profile theatrical release gives single-store operators and regional chains a conversation-starter that commodity roller grill and fountain programs cannot replicate without a creative hook.
Cold Stone, part of the Kahala Brands portfolio and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., operates through a franchise model with locations in malls, strip centers, and increasingly non-traditional venues. The Supergirl film is produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. No financial terms of the co-branding arrangement were disclosed by either party.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
