The Bar Industry in Ålesund: Current Status and Future Perspectives

The bar industry in Ålesund is a dynamic but variable sector with 5 registered companies in the municipality. In recent years, we have seen both strong growth and challenges, with a sales peak of NOK 31.2 million in 2024, followed by a sharp decline in 2025. The workforce development has been more stable, with an increase from 64 to 71 employees between 2023 and 2026. The sector is dominated by AS companies (2 companies) and DA companies (1 company), with a broad geographical presence in both Ålesund and Haramsøy. For entrepreneurs, it is important to note both the positive aspects of the sector and the challenges that emerge from the data of the last year.

Sales Development:

• 2024: NOK 31.2 million (highest level)
• 2025: NOK 12.9 million (decrease of 58.8 %)
• 2026: Data missing, but the trend from 2025 shows potential challenges

Workforce Development:

• 2023: 64 employees
• 2026: 71 employees (+4.4 %)

Key Figures from Ålesund:

• Ålesund (2 companies): NOK 13.5 million operating income, NOK -979,000 EBITDA, -7 % EBITDA margin
• Haramsøy (1 company): Zero operating income and sales

Average Values:

• EBITDA per employee: NOK -89,700 (Ålesund) vs. NOK 0 (Haramsøy)
• Operating margin: -23 % (Ålesund) vs. 0 % (Haramsøy)

Registered companies in Ålesund (5 total):

Organisation type statistics:

• AS (2 companies): 69 employees, NOK 13.5M operating income, -7 % EBITDA margin
• DA (1 company): 9 employees, zero operating income and sales

Notes:

• Ees Invest As and O'connors Ålesund are the only companies with operating data
• Marucha Ålesund Sentrum As and its bankruptcy estate have no operating activity

Distribution by district in Ålesund:

Important observations:

• Ålesund dominates with 2 companies and 69 employees, but with negative EBITDA
• Haramsøy has one company (Barius & Kaktus Da) with zero operating activity
• O'connors Ålesund (Brunholmgata 10) is the only company with positive operating income

Bankruptcies and operational challenges:

• No bankruptcies registered in the industry in Ålesund (all companies are marked as non-bankrupt)
• Four out of five companies have zero operating income and sales (Ees Invest As, Barius & Kaktus Da, Marucha Ålesund Sentrum As, Marucha Ålesund Sentrum As Konkursbo)
• O'connors Ålesund is the only company with operating data, but with negative EBITDA (-7 %)

Operating results:

• Ålesund (2 companies): NOK -3.1 million operating result, NOK 217.2 million gross profit
• Haramsøy (1 company): Zero operating result and gross profit

Conclusion:

• The sector has an uneven distribution of operating activity
• Many companies lack operating data or have negative EBITDA

Outlook for Entrepreneurs

Short-term challenges:

• Sharp decline in sales from 2024 to 2025 (-58.8 %)
• Negative EBITDA in most companies (Ålesund: -7 %)
• Many companies have zero operating activity

Long-term opportunities:

• Larger sector (bar/club) shows more stable growth (NOK 38.8 million in 2024)
• Increasing number of employees in both bar (71 in 2026) and bar/club (80 in 2026)
• Potential diversification within the bar/club sector

Recommendation:

• Entrepreneurs should consider combining bar operations with other activities (e.g. pub, club)
• Focus on cost control and operating result
• Develop unique offerings to differentiate from competitors

Outlook for the overarching sector (bar/club)

Short-term trends:

• Sales: NOK 38.8 million in 2024 (highest level), but a decline of 45.5 % in 2025
• Workforce: 80 employees in 2026 (increase of 5.3 %)

Competing companies in the bar/club sector:

Contrast to the bar sector:

• The bar/club sector has 7 companies (vs. 5 in the bar sector)
• Larger sales volume (NOK 38.8M in 2024 vs. NOK 31.2M in the bar sector)
• More stable growth in workforce development (80 employees in 2026 vs. 71 in the bar sector)

The bar industry in Ålesund shows both potential and challenges. With 71 employees in 2026 and a broad geographical presence in the municipality, it is an attractive sector for entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, attention must be paid to the negative EBITDA values and the sharp sales declines in 2025. The overarching bar/club sector shows more stable growth, which can be an advantage for entrepreneurs wishing to diversify. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find optimal addresses in Ålesund for this industry, with a focus on both operating results and market development.