116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Hyper Energy Bar brings the hype, new drive-thru location to North Liberty
Fuel up with coffee and energy drinks at this pit stop in North Liberty
Feb. 4, 2026 6:00 am
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Hyper Energy Bar has expanded its footprint in the Corridor, bringing it’s colorful collection of energy drinks and coffee to North Liberty.
The new drive-thru location, 1695 Jordan St., isn’t just energizing North Liberty with caffeine. Chris Whalen, CEO and founder of Hyper Energy Bar, said the business’s “energistas” are all about making a connection with customers and brightening their day.
Whalen launched the company in Waukee in 2021 as an addition to the portfolio of his family’s business, Heart of America Group. Heart of America Group is known for its hotels and restaurants, and Whalen believed he could bring that “full service mentality” to a drive-thru.
“Coming from what I knew, it was really about connection with people,” Whalen said.
He said Hyper has built its company by hiring people who love people.
“We want every customer to feel like they’re part of the Hyper team, and so that takes a lot of care, it takes an exuberance, right?” Whalen said. “It’s just being people first, and that has to start at every level.”
Today, Hyper Energy Bar has 13 locations in three states and is preparing to launch in Kansas later this year.
Whalen said the company also is looking to expand to Cedar Rapids, feeding into a rapidly growing network of Hyper Energy Bar locations in the Midwest.
Iowa beginnings
In 2021, Hyper Energy Bar opened its flagship location in Waukee. Whalen said the brand was built on positivity, optimism and excitement.
“We jump into things at full speed and commit to things and care about things. I think that’s kind of the Hyper way,” Whalen said. “It’s just a positive way of connecting with people. I mean, I pour into our team, and the team pours into others.”
Instead of the traditional baristas, Hyper has “energistas” who aim to not just energize your body with an energy drink or coffee, but also your day with a smile and positive interaction.
Each energy pit stop at the North Liberty location moves efficiently thanks to the store’s double drive-thru design.
The North Liberty store comes to the Corridor a year after the chain opened in Iowa City’s Ped Mall. The opening of this store marked the achievement of a childhood dream for Whalen.
“I grew up going to the Ped Mall, and I always wanted a business on the Ped Mall since I was young,” he said, adding that it also shows that whether you’re patronizing an inline store or a drive-thru, their customer-centered approach is always the same.
What’s on the menu?
With names like “Cosmic Lightning,” “Adrenaline Junkie” and “Aftershock,” each drink packs a punch of flavor and energy. Hyper uses a guarana taurine mix that the team has carefully crafted to soften any caffeine crash a drinker may experience.
Don’t want caffeine? No problem. Most of the energy and coffee drinks can come caffeine-free, and sugar-free syrups are available too.
Whalen’s favorite energy drink is “Triple Threat,” a combination of blue raspberry, green apple and white chocolate. Whalen concocted this recipe himself using a few of his favorite flavors.
If You Go
• Address: Hyper Energy Bar’s newest Corridor location is 1695 Jordan St. in North Liberty. There is another location at 115 E. College St. in Iowa City
• Phone: (319) 259-8505
• Website: hyperenergybar.com
• Hours: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays (at North Liberty location)
• Details: Features a variety of energy drinks, coffee and small snack items
On the coffee side, he described their approach as serious.
“We spend a lot of time sourcing our beans, roasting the beans,” he said.
Hyper Energy Bar’s coffee is a South American blend that is roasted in Iowa.
“We went through about 150 different blends before we chose this one,” Whalen said.
While Hyper’s menu may look brief, it lends itself to countless customizable flavor combinations.
“We don’t have a crowded menu of tons of different types of drinks,” Whalen said. “The fun part is that we do what we do, and we do it the best. So we wanted to have a narrow focus and make it consistent, but also make it exciting.”
Local impact
A core value of the company is community engagement. Every store location partners with local organizations to host fundraisers.
“No matter how big we may get, that store ... will always be a part of that community that it’s in,” Whalen said.
“We own all the stores. They’re not franchises, and our approach will always be that that community sees the benefit of that store.”
Whalen said that the Des Moines locations have given $30,000 to Can Do Cancer, a nonprofit organization that supports breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment in Des Moines, Ames and the surrounding areas.
Other locations have raised money for local school districts.
Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com
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