Two family-owned Cincinnati institutions are crossing category lines: United Dairy Farmers, Inc. (UDF) and Grippo Foods, Inc. are launching Fun Food Crunch, a limited-edition Homemade Brand™ ice cream pint that translates Grippo's snack identity directly into the frozen dairy case. The product hits Cincinnati-area Kroger stores and all 170-plus UDF retail locations the week of August 16, available while supplies last in an exclusive co-branded 16-ounce pint.
The Flavor Profile
Fun Food Crunch leads with a buttered popcorn-flavored ice cream base, layered with a Bar-B-Q spice-infused caramel swirl and chocolatey, crunchy pretzel pieces — a deliberate echo of Grippo's signature barbecue chip seasoning translated into a sweet-and-salty frozen format. The formulation is a direct nod to Grippo's self-described identity as the original "Fun Food Company," a positioning the 107-year-old snack maker has carried for generations.
For convenience-store and foodservice operators tracking limited-time offer strategy in the frozen and dairy segment, the collaboration is a textbook example of leveraging regional brand equity to drive trial without heavy national media spend. Both brands lean on deep local loyalty rather than broad distribution, and the pint's exclusive Kroger placement alongside UDF's own c-store network concentrates demand in a geography where both names carry strong recognition.
Why the Partnership Works
Together, UDF and Grippo Foods represent nearly 200 years of serving Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana families. UDF, founded in 1940, operates more than 170 convenience and ice cream parlor locations and manufactures ice cream under its Homemade Brand™, UDF Brand®, and Main Avenue Creamery® labels. Grippo's, now in its fifth generation of family ownership, has built a cult following around its barbecue potato chips that extends well beyond the tri-state region.
"This collaboration brings together two hometown brands that share a commitment to quality, family values and creating products people love," said Michael Ahmed, CEO of United Dairy Farmers. "Fun Food Crunch captures the spirit of both companies in a way that's nostalgic, playful and uniquely Cincinnati."
John Dourson, Vice President of Sales for Grippo Foods, framed the deal as a category-expansion play. "Partnering with another family-owned Cincinnati institution like UDF and Homemade Brand allowed us to create something unexpected that honors our history while giving fans of both brands a new way to enjoy flavors they already know and love."
Operator Takeaways
For c-store and grocery operators watching the snack-meets-dairy crossover trend, the UDF–Grippo deal illustrates how regional co-branding can generate buzz without a national rollout budget. The limited-time, limited-geography structure also creates urgency at the shelf — a mechanic that has proven effective in convenience-store foodservice and impulse categories. With UDF's loyalty program already recognized as one of America's best by USA Today, the brand has a direct channel to drive repeat visits tied to the new pint's availability window.
The collaboration also signals growing appetite among heritage snack brands to extend into foodservice-adjacent channels, a trend worth watching as snack companies seek incremental revenue outside their core retail lanes. Operators in competitive Midwest markets may find that hyper-local co-branding — pairing trusted regional names rather than chasing national partnerships — resonates more deeply with a loyal consumer base.
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.
