Industry · municipality
The Bar Industry in Bamble: Current Situation and Future Opportunities
A Detailed Analysis of the Business Landscape in Bamble for Entrepreneurs and Local Decision-Makers
Executive Summary
The bar industry in Bamble is a small but dynamic sector with a single registered company: Stormen Pub As in Langesund. In recent years, the industry has shown significant variations in both sales and number of employees, with a peak in 2021 followed by a decline in 2022–2023. The broader bar / club category in the municipality has more companies and a somewhat more stable development, which can provide entrepreneurs interested in the sector with a broader context to consider.
SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs explore potential addresses in Bamble for this industry, focusing on natural conditions and local opportunities.
Economic Overview
Sales and employees in the bar industry in Bamble (2016–2024):
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 872.6K | 0 |
| 2017 | 1.2M | 11 |
| 2018 | 1.3M | 4 |
| 2019 | 2.2M | 9 |
| 2020 | 1.3M | 25 |
| 2021 | 2.0M | 41 |
| 2022 | 2.3M | 38 |
| 2023 | 2.0M | 37 |
| 2024 | 1.3M | 41 |
Sales experienced a significant increase in 2019 (+67.1% from 2018), but fell by 40.1% in 2020, likely affected by the pandemic. The number of employees peaked in 2021 (41) before a decline in 2022–2023. In 2024, sales are at 1.3 million NOK, showing a gradual decline after 2022.
This variation underscores the need for stabilization and diversification of income sources for businesses in the sector.



Companies in the Industry
In Bamble, there is one company registered in the bar industry: Stormen Pub As (Storgata 13, Langesund). The company was founded in 2025 and has 26 employees. The organizational form is AS, and no bankruptcy has been registered.
Organizational form statistics:
| Organizational form | Number of companies | Number of employees |
|---|---|---|
| AS | 1 | 26 |
In the broader bar / club category in the municipality, there are 3 registered companies, one of which is in the bar industry (Stormen Pub As). The other two companies in the category are in the pub industry, but lack detailed financial data.
Business Geography
The bar industry in Bamble is concentrated in Langesund, where one company is registered: Stormen Pub As. In the municipality, there are no other districts or places with activity in this industry.
Details for Langesund:
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of companies | 1 |
| Number of employees | 26 |
| Sales | 0 NOK |
| EBITDA | 0 NOK |
This concentration shows that Langesund is the only area in Bamble with activity in the bar industry. This can be an advantage for entrepreneurs seeking to establish themselves in an existing industry community, but also a challenge in terms of bankruptcy and market dynamics.

Business Dynamics
Bankruptcy statistics and company stability:
- Stormen Pub As is not registered in bankruptcy, but the number of employees has shown significant variations (from 0 in 2016 to 41 in 2021). This may indicate vulnerability in relation to external factors such as the pandemic and market changes.
- In the broader bar / club category in the municipality, there was an increase in the number of employees in 2020 (48) and 2021 (50), but a decline in 2022–2023. This shows that the industry has a gradual, but uneven development.
Conclusion: The dynamics of the bar industry in Bamble are characterized by variations in both sales and employees, which can be a challenge for new companies.
Outlook
Outlook for Entrepreneurs
For entrepreneurs in the bar industry in Bamble, it is important to consider both opportunities and challenges:
- Opportunities:
- Langesund is the only area with activity in the industry, which can provide an advantage in terms of existing customer bases and business partners.
- The broader bar / club category has more companies and a somewhat more stable development, which can provide entrepreneurs with opportunities for collaboration or development of new offerings.
- Challenges:
- Sales and number of employees have shown significant variations, which may indicate vulnerability in relation to market changes and external factors.
- There is only one company in the bar industry, which may pose a bankruptcy risk if there is insufficient diversification.
SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs identify natural addresses in Bamble for this industry, focusing on local conditions and potential business partners.
Outlook for the Broader Bar / Club Category
The broader bar / club category in Bamble has 3 companies, one of which is in the bar industry (Stormen Pub As). This category has a somewhat more stable development than the bar industry alone:
Sales and employees in bar / club (2016–2024):
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 872.6K | 4 |
| 2017 | 1.2M | 11 |
| 2018 | 1.6M | 5 |
| 2019 | 3.2M | 23 |
| 2020 | 1.3M | 48 |
| 2021 | 2.0M | 50 |
| 2022 | 2.3M | 38 |
| 2023 | 2.0M | 37 |
| 2024 | 1.3M | 41 |
Peer companies in bar / club (not in the bar industry):
| Name | Address | Sales (NOK) | Employees | EBITDA (NOK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inger Anita Nygaards Restaurant | Strandgata 17A, 3960 Stathelle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sophus Da | Strandgata 2, 3960 Stathelle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Conclusion: The broader category has a higher degree of variation in sales and employees, but also more companies, which can provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to develop in a more stable industry community.



Other companies in bar / klubb (not in bar)
| Company | Industry | Address | Sales | Employees | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inger Anita Nygaards Restaurant | pub | Johnsegaarden|Strandgata 17A, 3960 Stathelle | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Sophus Da | pub | Strandgata 2, 3960 Stathelle | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
Conclusion
The bar industry in Bamble is a small but dynamic sector with a single registered company: Stormen Pub As. The industry has shown significant variations in sales and number of employees, which can be a challenge for new companies. The broader bar / club category in the municipality has more companies and a somewhat more stable development, which can provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to develop in a more stable industry community.
SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs identify natural addresses in Bamble for this industry, focusing on local conditions and potential business partners.