Industry · municipality
The Asian Restaurant Industry in Vågan: Current Status and Future Outlook
Economic Overview, Companies, and Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in Vågan, Nordland
Executive Summary
The Asian restaurant industry in Vågan is a niche industry within the broader restaurant / café sector. Although there are no registered companies in the specific asian restaurant category in the municipality, data from the broader sector indicates that the industry has been growing in recent years. There are 31 companies in the broader restaurant / café sector, and they have shown a significant increase in both sales and number of employees from 2022 to 2024. This suggests that there is potential for new players, even though there are no registered Asian restaurants in the municipality today.
Economic Overview
Economic Overview of the Broader Restaurant / Café Sector
Sales and Employees:
- Sales: The broader restaurant / café sector increased from NOK 65,0M in 2016 to NOK 110,0M in 2025, with a significant increase of +52.7% from 2023 to 2024.
- Employees: The number of employees increased from 131 in 2016 to 296 in 2026, with a growth of +126% over the period. The most significant increase occurred from 2020 to 2022 (+46.7%).
Annual Growth:
- Sales had a growth of +52.7% from 2023 to 2024, while employees had a growth of +13.8% during the same period.
- There is a clear trend toward growth in both sales and employees after 2020, despite a decline in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Note: The data refers to the broader restaurant / café sector, not specifically asian restaurant.
Economic Development Figures for Restaurant / Café in Vågan
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Employees | Annual Growth (Sales) | Annual Growth (Employees) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 65,0M | 131 | - | - |
| 2017 | 66,7M | 152 | +2.5% | +16.0% |
| 2018 | 66,1M | 153 | -0.8% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 77,8M | 181 | +17.7% | +18.3% |
| 2020 | 58,8M | 119 | -24.5% | -34.3% |
| 2021 | 67,4M | 150 | +14.6% | +26.1% |
| 2022 | 91,0M | 220 | +35.1% | +46.7% |
| 2023 | 80,4M | 224 | -11.7% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 122,7M | 255 | +52.7% | +13.8% |
| 2025 | 110,0M | 272 | -10.3% | +6.7% |
| 2026 | - | 296 | - | +8.8% |
Companies in the Industry
Companies in the Asian Restaurant Industry
There are no registered companies in the asian restaurant category in Vågan. This is a unique situation, as the broader restaurant / café sector has 31 companies. It is therefore possible that there are small, unregistered businesses or that Asian restaurants are represented under other categories (e.g., sushi restaurant or pizza restaurant).
Organizational Forms in the Broader Restaurant / Café Sector
Data on organizational forms for asian restaurant is not available, but for the broader restaurant / café sector, it is common to see companies with organizational forms such as AS, ASK, and some sole proprietorships.
Geographical Distribution
Geographical Distribution of Businesses
There is no specific data on asian restaurant activity in Vågan, but the broader restaurant / café sector is present in several neighborhoods and towns in the municipality. Examples of locations include:
- Svolvær: Svinøya Rorbuer As Avd Restaurant, Nihao As, Bacalao Drift As.
- Henningsvær: Mathuset Lofoten As, Fiskekrogen As, Henningsvær Turistheim As.
- Kabelvåg: Hjørnet Kafé As, Skrei Restaurantdrift As, Skårungen Restaurant As.
- Laukvik: På Kaikanten Bistro & Pub As.
This shows that the broader restaurant / café sector has a wide geographical presence, but there are no registered Asian restaurants in the municipality.
Industry Dynamics
There is no publicly available data on bankruptcy or bankruptcy participation specifically for asian restaurant in Vågan. However, for the broader restaurant / café sector, there are some companies with negative EBITDA values, such as:
- Æ Elske Pizza As (EBITDA: -NOK 7.0K)
- Svolvær Restaurant As (EBITDA: -NOK 12.0K)
- Lucrum Lofoten As (EBITDA: -NOK 39.0K)
This indicates that there are challenges in some companies, but there is not enough data to draw conclusions about the asian restaurant industry specifically.
Outlook
Outlook for Entrepreneurs
For entrepreneurs considering establishing an asian restaurant in Vågan, data on the broader restaurant / café sector indicates potential. There has been growth in both sales and employees, especially from 2022 to 2024, and there is a wide geographical presence of restaurants in the municipality. This may indicate an increasing demand for food and café offerings in the area.
However, there are no registered Asian restaurants in the municipality, which could be an opportunity, but also a challenge in terms of bankruptcy risk and competing businesses. Entrepreneurs should therefore conduct thorough market research and assess competition from other restaurants in the area.
Outlook for the Broader Sector
Outlook for the Broader Restaurant / Café Sector
The broader restaurant / café sector in Vågan has shown strong growth in recent years, especially from 2022 to 2024. Sales increased by +52.7% from 2023 to 2024, and the number of employees increased by +13.8% during the same period. This shows that there is good economic development in the area, even though there are variations between individual companies.
Comparison with the Asian Restaurant Industry
The asian restaurant industry is underrepresented in Vågan compared to the broader restaurant / café sector. The broader sector has 31 companies, while there are no registered companies in asian restaurant. This could be an opportunity for entrepreneurs, but it is important to be aware of competition from other restaurants in the area.
Examples of Companies in the Broader Restaurant / Café Sector
| Name | Address | Sales (NOK) | Employees | EBITDA (NOK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Svinøya Rorbuer As Avd Restaurant | Gunnar Bergs vei 2, 8300 Svolvær | 44,0M | 45 | 8,9M |
| Bacalao Drift As | Havnepromenaden 2, 8300 Svolvær | 36,6M | 63 | 3,5M |
| Nihao As | Johan E. Paulsens gate 12B, 8300 Svolvær | 15,3M | 17 | 2,4M |
| Mathuset Lofoten As | Store Hakammen, 8312 Henningsvær | 68,0K | 0 | 3,7M |
| Balloonburger As | Lofotgata 33, 8300 Svolvær | 3,7M | 12 | 442,0K |
This shows that the broader restaurant / café sector has a wide variation in size and economic performance, which could be an important factor for entrepreneurs in the asian restaurant industry.
Other companies in restaurant / kafé (not in asian restaurant)
| Company | Industry | Address | Sales | Employees | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Svinøya Rorbuer As Avd Restaurant | restaurant | Gunnar Bergs vei 2, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 44.0M | 45 | NOK 8.9M |
| Mathuset Lofoten As | restaurant | Store Hakammen, 8312 Henningsvær | NOK 68.0K | 0 | NOK 3.7M |
| Bacalao Drift As | restaurant | Havnepromenaden 2, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 36.6M | 63 | NOK 3.5M |
| Nihao As | restaurant | Johan E. Paulsens gate 12B, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 15.3M | 17 | NOK 2.4M |
| Balloonburger As | restaurant | Lofotgata 33, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 3.7M | 12 | NOK 442.0K |
| Jordbærpikene Svolvær As | cafe | Lofotgata 33, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 7.5M | 19 | NOK 392.0K |
| Livland As | restaurant | Midnattsolveien 914, 8315 Laukvik | NOK 1.8M | 3 | NOK 233.0K |
| Henningsvær Turistheim As | restaurant | Hellandsgata 75, 8312 Henningsvær | NOK 753.0K | 0 | NOK 166.0K |
| Blue Sky Lofoten | restaurant | Torget, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Comida De Mar As | restaurant | Dreyers gate 118, 8312 Henningsvær | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Digermul Kroa | restaurant | 0, 8324 Digermulen | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Déjà Brew As | cafe | Sivert Nilsens gate 26, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 0 | 5 | NOK 0 |
| Fellini Lofoten As | restaurant | Vestfjordgata 8, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 0 | 18 | NOK 0 |
| Fiskekrogen As | restaurant | Dreyers gate 29, 8312 Henningsvær | NOK 0 | 41 | NOK 0 |
| Hjørnet Kafé As | restaurant | Torggata 11, 8310 Kabelvåg | NOK 0 | 7 | NOK 0 |
| Klatrekafeen As | restaurant | Misværveien 8, 8312 Henningsvær | NOK 0 | 17 | NOK 0 |
| Kos Lofoten As | restaurant | Vesterøyveien 19, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Laura's Cafe Bar As | restaurant | Sivert Nilsens gate 26, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 0 | 4 | NOK 0 |
| Maya Victoria Westeng Kafé | restaurant | Brennaveien 233, 8313 Kleppstad | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Mnm Norge As | restaurant | Været 6, 8320 Skrova | NOK 0 | 8 | NOK 0 |
| Nordis Restaurant Svolvær | restaurant | Torget 15, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 0 | 36 | NOK 0 |
| Pattareeya,s Thai Food Truck As | restaurant | Sommerskaret 14, 8310 Kabelvåg | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| På Kaikanten Bistro & Pub As | restaurant | Laukvikveien 3A, 8315 | NOK 0 | 8 | NOK 0 |
| Skrei Restaurantdrift As | sushi restaurant | Storvåganveien 20, 8310 Kabelvåg | NOK 0 | 7 | NOK 0 |
| Skårungen Restaurant As | restaurant | Ørsvågveien 40, 8310 Kabelvåg | NOK 0 | 29 | NOK 0 |
| Vidar Naber Lysvold | restaurant | Hjellskjæret, 8312 Henningsvær | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Viva Italia Akram Ans | restaurant | Torget, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Vågakallen As | restaurant | Dreyers gate 6, 8312 Henningsvær | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Æ Elske Pizza As | pizza restaurant | Kaiveien 2, 8310 Kabelvåg | NOK 4.0K | 0 | NOK -7.0K |
| Svolvær Restaurant As | restaurant | Vestfjordgata 1, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 3.3M | 7 | NOK -12.0K |
| Lucrum Lofoten As | restaurant | Meyerbakken 11, 8300 Svolvær | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK -39.0K |
Conclusion
The Asian restaurant industry in Vågan is a niche industry within the broader restaurant / café sector. Although there are no registered companies in asian restaurant in the municipality, data from the broader sector indicates that there has been growth in both sales and employees in recent years. This suggests that there is potential for new players, even though there is a challenge in the form of competing businesses.
For entrepreneurs, it is important to conduct thorough market research and assess competition from other restaurants in the area. The broader restaurant / café sector has shown strong growth, and it could be a good starting point for an asian restaurant in Vågan.