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Area 51 Energy Lands at Crest Foods in Oklahoma
Area 51 Energy is now on shelves at Crest Foods, giving the Fort Worth energy drink brand its first Oklahoma grocery foothold.
Area 51 Energy has landed in Oklahoma. The Fort Worth, Texas brand is now on shelves at Crest Foods, a family-owned grocery chain based in Edmond with about 10 stores, most of them in the Oklahoma City metro.
This one hits close to home for us. Bevlab's founder, Mike, is based in Oklahoma, so Area 51 just landed in our own backyard.
It's the next regional step after Area 51's expansion into Harps Food Stores. If you haven't tried it yet, Area 51 Energy is a zero-sugar, 150mg caffeine drink built around lion's mane and a nootropic stack.
Crest Brings Area 51 to OKC Grocery
Crest is about as hometown as Oklahoma grocery gets. The Harroz family's grocery roots go back to 1929, when Nicola Harroz Sr. opened Fairview Grocery in Oklahoma City. After World War II, his son Nick Harroz Jr., a Navy officer who had trained fighter pilots, opened Nick's Brett Drive Grocery in Midwest City. In 1964 the store moved into the Ridgecrest shopping center and took its name from it: Crest.
Nick and his wife Cherry ran the business for more than 60 years before handing it to their son Bruce in 1999. Under Bruce, the third generation, Crest has grown to about 10 stores across Edmond, Midwest City, Moore, Norman, Oklahoma City, and Yukon. Newer stores carry the Crest Fresh Market banner, first used in south Oklahoma City in 2010, and Area 51's launch photo shows a can outside one of them.
The pitch hasn't changed much since Nick's father told him to "stack it high and sell it cheap." Crest calls itself the "Home of Rock Bottom Prices" and leans on big selection, clean stores, and full service, from the greeter at the door to the staff bagging groceries.
- Retailer: Crest Foods (Crest Fresh Market), headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma
- Footprint: about 10 stores, clustered around the Oklahoma City metro
- Product: Area 51 Energy
- Not yet announced: how many Crest stores carry it, and which flavors
A family-owned regional chain is a smart next step for a young brand. It has one buying team and a tight cluster of stores, and its shoppers notice when something new shows up in the cooler. Add Harps, and Area 51 is building its grocery presence one regional chain at a time.
Area 51 Energy: The Quick Breakdown
Our full Area 51 Energy breakdown covers every ingredient. Here's the short version:
- 150mg caffeine - A moderate dose for a 16oz can, below the 200-300mg found in stronger energy drinks.
- Zero sugar, 10 calories - 3g of carbs per can, sweetened with sucralose.
- Lion's mane mushroom extract - The headline ingredient on the can. Area 51 doesn't disclose the dose.
- Nootropic stack - L-theanine to take the edge off the caffeine, Alpha-GPC as a choline source tied to focus, and green tea extract in a supporting role. Individual doses aren't listed.
- BCAA 2:1:1 - Leucine, isoleucine, and valine. This is more about exercise recovery than energy, and the total amount isn't disclosed.
- Vitamins and minerals - Niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, and vitamin D at 100% DV each, vitamin B12 at 80% DV, and a small dose of magnesium citrate (6% DV).
Flavor Lineup
Area 51 hasn't said which flavors Crest is stocking, so check the energy drink cooler at your local store. The current lineup is below.
- Big Bang Baja (12 Cans: $34.99)
- Martian Mango (12 Cans: $34.99)
- Original (12 Cans: $34.99)
- Plasma Peach (12 Cans: $34.99)
What to Watch Next
Two regional grocery chains in a row tells you how Area 51 is growing: chain by chain, outward from Texas. If you're in the OKC area and want a lion's mane drink with moderate caffeine, Crest is now a place to find it. The next thing to watch is whether it shows up in every Crest store, and you can follow updates at Area 51's site.
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