Get hyped.
A Des Moines metro-owned chain of customizable energy drinks, smoothies, and coffees is opening its second location in the greater Iowa City area, the 13th location for the Iowa brand.
Hyper Energy Bar, under the umbrella of the Heart of America Group, will open at 1695 Jordan St. in North Liberty, near the intersection of W. Forevergreen Rd. and Coral Ridge Ave. The company opened its first location in 2021 and has spread throughout Iowa and into Nebraska.
The aim is to open the North Liberty location by the end of the year, but that timeframe could change based on construction and weather, according to Dre Eslick, head of marketing and communications at Hyper.
The opening of the North Liberty location comes a year after Hyper opened its first location outside of the Des Moines metro on the Ped Mall at 115 E. College St. in Iowa City.
Since opening in Iowa City, Hyper has gotten requests to open a location similar to the standard Hyper stores found across the state, drive-thru only. The downtown Iowa City location offers in-person ordering and pickup only, no drive-thru.
The North Liberty location will be drive-thru only.
The Iowa City location was the first Hyper outside central Iowa and “a natural move” for the brand, Chris Whalen, CEO and co-founder of Hyper Energy Bar, told the Press-Citizen. The opening of the North Liberty location is another natural move to focus more on a residential community rather than the University of Iowa demographic.
“[The Iowa City location] is more focused on the college kids, and the North Liberty location is the drive-thru concept,” said Eslick. “[The North Liberty location allows us] to reach a lot more people who are driving more and who haven’t been able to try Hyper yet.”
Energy drinks come in 13 flavor combinations, such as strawberry with watermelon and white chocolate, blue raspberry with watermelon, or blue raspberry with white chocolate. Most drinks can be ordered sans caffeine or with sugar-free syrup.
While Hyper is best known for its energy drinks, the energy bar also offers a full line of espresso drinks, from hot and iced varieties to cold brews. All of these drinks are customizable, from milk alternatives to flavored syrups. More than 40 options are sugar-free. Hyper also offers small bites, including protein bars, muffin tops, and cake pops.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Hyper Energy Bar to open a drive-thru location in North Liberty
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
