The Bar Industry in Fredrikstad: Current Status and Future Perspectives

The bar industry in Fredrikstad shows a mix of stability and dynamism. In 2025, 20 companies operate in the sector, with a total of 150 employees and annual revenues of approximately NOK 24 million. In recent years, the industry has been marked by fluctuations, with a strong increase after 2020 and a rise in the number of employees. At the same time, data shows that a broader category (bar/club) in the municipality has more companies and higher revenues, which can provide insight into the industry's development.

The key figures show that Fredrikstad has a relatively large share of companies in the bar sector compared to other municipalities in Viken. It is particularly interesting that several of the most profitable companies are located in the Fredrikstad city center, while areas such as Sellebakk and Old Fredrikstad have lower activity.

Annual revenues and employees:

The industry reached its peak in 2019 with annual revenues of NOK 34.1 million, but fell by 40.2% in 2020 due to the pandemic. After this, there has been a gradual increase, with a rise of 19.0% in 2025. The number of employees has been more variable, with a decline of 40.5% in 2021 and an increase of 53.8% in 2022.

Margins and profitability:

• The average gross margin is 69%, while the operating margin is 8%.
• The EBITDA margin has varied between 3% and 21%, with an average value of 12%.
• The most profitable companies have EBITDA margins above 20%, while some companies have negative values.

In Fredrikstad, 20 companies operate in the bar sector, with the following organizational forms:

Important companies:

• Fredrikstad Underholdning As (Kråkerøy): 34 employees, NOK 14.4M in revenues, EBITDA NOK 1.1M.
• Alibi Fredrikstad As (Fredrikstad): 31 employees, NOK 8.3M in revenues, EBITDA NOK 2.0M.
• Smoods Bar & Bistro As (Fredrikstad): 24 employees, NOK 9.4M in revenues, EBITDA NOK 1.5M.
• Nybar As (Fredrikstad): 6 employees, NOK 3.4M in revenues, EBITDA NOK 136.0K.

Special observations:

• Fredrikstad Restaurantdrift As has a negative operating result and high debt (NOK 3.9M), which could be a risk.
• Gul Snø As and Nilsen Bubble Dragon have no activity in the reports, which could indicate newly established companies or missing reporting.

The bar industry in Fredrikstad is most concentrated in the following areas:

Important trends:

• The Fredrikstad city center has the highest activity with 5 companies and 88 employees.
• Kråkerøy has a higher average gross margin (60%) than Fredrikstad (75%), but a lower EBITDA margin (7% vs. 12%).
• Sellebakk and Gamle Fredrikstad have low activity, with Sellebakk having no revenues.
• Gamle Fredrikstad has a unique company structure with 9 employees and NOK 0.678M in revenues, but a low margin (53%).

Bankruptcies and risk factors:

• No companies in the industry are registered as bankrupt in the reports, even though Fredrikstad Restaurantdrift As has a negative operating result and high debt (NOK 3.9M).
• New companies such as Gul Snø As and Nilsen Bubble Dragon have no activity, which could indicate newly established companies or missing reporting.

Growth and improvement:

• Nybar As had an extreme growth of 353% in 2025, from NOK 0.9M to NOK 3.4M in revenues.
• Måntesino As had a growth of 100% in 2025, from NOK 0 to NOK 0.678M in revenues.
• Alibi Fredrikstad As had a growth of 95% in 2025, from NOK 0.8M to NOK 8.3M in revenues.

Development in EBITDA:

• Alibi Fredrikstad As had the highest EBITDA (NOK 2.0M) with a margin of 21%.
• Smoods Bar & Bistro As had an EBITDA of NOK 1.5M with a margin of 15%.
• Fredrikstad Underholdning As had an EBITDA of NOK 1.1M with a margin of 7%.

The bar industry in Fredrikstad shows stable trends with a growth of 19.0% in 2025 and 2.7% in 2026. This indicates a gradual increase after the pandemic, with particularly strong growth in companies such as Nybar As and Måntesino As.

Possible opportunities:

• Underdeveloped areas such as Sellebakk and Gamle Fredrikstad have potential for new companies, especially if they can adapt to local needs.
• New companies such as Gul Snø As and Nilsen Bubble Dragon could provide competitive alternatives in a competitive market.
• High margins in companies such as Alibi Fredrikstad As (21%) and Smoods Bar & Bistro As (15%) show that it is possible to achieve profitability in the industry.

Risk factors:

• Fredrikstad Restaurantdrift As has a negative operating result and high debt, which could be a risk for bankruptcy.
• New companies have no activity, which could indicate missing reporting or weak financing.
• Competition in the Fredrikstad city center could be strong, with many companies and high activity.

Broader industry2 grouping (bar/club) in Fredrikstad has 23 companies and 200 employees in 2026, with annual revenues of NOK 60.6M. This shows that the industry has a larger scale than the bar sector alone, with higher revenues and more companies.

Important companies in the parent category:

• Dragen Pub As (Nygaardsgata 34): NOK 8.4M in revenues, 14 employees, EBITDA NOK 412.0K.
• Taproom As (Nygaardsgata 33A): NOK 20.2M in revenues, 20 employees, EBITDA NOK 134.0K.
• Lindo As (Nygaardsgata 23A): NOK 8.8M in revenues, 15 employees, EBITDA NOK -180.0K.

Contrast to the bar sector:

• The parent category has higher revenues (NOK 60.6M vs. NOK 24.0M) and more companies (23 vs. 20).
• EBITDA margins in the parent category are at 5.5%, while the bar sector has 12%.
• Growth in the parent category has been stable, with an increase of 11.9% in 2025, while the bar sector had an increase of 19.0%.

Conclusion: The parent category (bar/club) has a larger scale and higher revenues, but lower EBITDA margins. This suggests that it may be possible to develop in a broader category, but the bar sector has a better profitability.

The bar industry in Fredrikstad shows a stable development with growth in the number of employees and annual revenues after the pandemic. It is particularly interesting that the Fredrikstad city center has high activity and high margins, which could provide opportunities for new companies. At the same time, data shows that the parent category (bar/club) has a larger scale and higher revenues, which could provide insight into the industry's development.

For entrepreneurs:

• It is possible to achieve profitability in the industry, especially in the Fredrikstad city center and Kråkerøy.
• Underdeveloped areas such as Sellebakk and Gamle Fredrikstad could provide opportunities for new companies.
• SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses in the municipality for this industry, especially in areas with growth potential.