The Asian Restaurant Industry in Drammen

The Asian restaurant industry in Drammen is a small but dynamic sector with both challenges and opportunities. In 2023, the industry had 30 employees and a sales volume of 10.6 million NOK. There is a clear variation over the years, with an increase in sales from 2021 to 2023, but a decline in the number of employees by 64.5% from 2025 to 2026. This shows that the industry is vulnerable to fluctuations, which may be due to both market conditions and competitive pressure.

Sales and Employees Over Time

Sales:

• 2016: 8.0 million NOK
• 2023: 10.6 million NOK
• Annual growth from 2021 to 2023: +10.6%

Employees:

• 2016: 31 employees
• 2023: 30 employees
• Decline from 2025 to 2026: -64.5%

Sales have grown up to 2023, but there is a clear decline in the number of employees in recent years. This may indicate that businesses have tried to reduce costs or that there have been challenges with recruiting staff.

Registered Companies

There are four companies registered in the Asian restaurant industry in Drammen:

1. S&P Invest As – Kleivene 89, Drammen (10 employees, AS)
2. Lille Jasmin Jing Liu – Øvre Tverrgate 3, Mjøndalen (4 employees, ENK)
3. Ask Og Loke As – Bragernes torg 4, Drammen (0 employees, AS, bankruptcy)
4. Thung Thong Thai Take Away By Chuphu – Hauges gate 104, Drammen (0 employees, ENK)

Organizational Forms

• AS (1 company, 10 employees)
• ENK (2 companies, 4 employees)

There is a mix of organizational forms, but most companies have few employees. This may indicate that many businesses are small and specialized.

Distribution of Businesses

There are two companies in Drammen and two in Mjøndalen. In Drammen, the companies together have 10 employees, while in Mjøndalen there are 4 employees. Sales are not reported for any of the companies in the two districts.

Bankruptcies and Financial Viability

There is one bankruptcy reported in the industry:

• Ask Og Loke As – Bragernes torg 4, Drammen
• Sales: 10.8 million NOK
• EBITDA: 385,000 NOK
• Number of employees: 0
• Total equity: -1.1 million NOK
• Total debt: 2.6 million NOK

This shows that the business had negative equity and high debt, which may have led to bankruptcy. However, there is only one bankruptcy in the industry, which indicates that most businesses are financially viable.

The Asian restaurant industry in Drammen offers both opportunities and challenges for new entrepreneurs. Sales have grown up to 2023, but there is a clear decline in the number of employees in recent years. This may indicate that the industry is vulnerable to fluctuations, which may be due to both market conditions and competitive pressure.

However, there are opportunities to establish oneself in Drammen and Mjøndalen, where there are fewer competitors. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses and develop a strategy that fits local conditions.

Comparison with the Broader Sector

The Restaurant / Café sector in Drammen has:

• 221 companies (compared to 4 in the Asian restaurant industry)
• Sales in 2023: 554.2 million NOK
• Employees in 2023: 1,370 employees

The Asian restaurant industry is therefore a small part of the broader sector. This shows that there are many more businesses in the broader sector, but the Asian restaurant industry has had higher sales growth in recent years.

Peer Companies in the Broader Sector

These companies have higher sales and more employees than the Asian restaurant industry, but they also have higher EBITDA. This shows that there are opportunities to compete in the broader sector, but there are also challenges in achieving the same level of financial viability.

The Asian restaurant industry in Drammen has both opportunities and challenges. It is a small but dynamic sector with growth in sales, but also fluctuations in the number of employees. There are opportunities to establish oneself in Drammen and Mjøndalen, where there are fewer competitors. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses and develop a strategy that fits local conditions.