The Bar Industry in Stord: Current Situation and Future Opportunities

The bar industry in Stord has a complex history marked by both strong growth and challenges. In 2025, four companies are registered in the industry, with a total of 26 employees. The most significant player is Osvald Pub As, which operates in Stord and reports revenue of 6.7 million NOK and 21 employees. At the same time, data shows that the industry has been marked by large variations in revenue and number of employees over time, with an increase of 25.5% in 2025 compared to 2024. This indicates that the industry has growth potential, but also a need for stability.

Economic Trends

The industry has experienced highly variable development. Revenue fell by 10.1% from 2016 to 2017, but had a strong increase of 78.1% from 2021 to 2022. The number of employees has also been unstable, with a peak of 38 in 2023 and a decline to 23 in 2024 before rising to 26 in 2025. This dynamic shows that the industry is sensitive to external factors, but has also shown resilience during periods of economic pressure.

Key Players in the Industry

1. Osvald Pub As (Torgbakken 1, Stord)

• Organizational form: AS
• Founded: 2001
• Employees: 21
• Revenue: 6.7M NOK
• EBITDA: 733,000 NOK

1. Bygdapøbben As (Sagvågsbrekko 6, Sagvåg)

• Organizational form: AS
• Founded: 2021
• Employees: 14
• Revenue: 0 NOK (inactive)

1. Dugnad D As (Villavegen 6A, Stord)

• Organizational form: AS
• Founded: 2026
• Employees: 0
• Revenue: 0 NOK (inactive)

1. Half Way House Da (Osen 4, Stord)

• Organizational form: DA
• Founded: 2004
• Employees: 0
• Revenue: 0 NOK (inactive)

Organizational Forms

• AS (2 companies, 35 employees, 6.7M NOK revenue)
• DA (1 company, 0 employees, 0 NOK revenue)

Distribution of Activity

Activity is strongly concentrated in Stord, where three of the four companies operate. Sagvåg has company activity, but with 14 employees and 0 NOK revenue, this shows that this location does not have an active bar industry.

Dynamics and Risk

The industry has been marked by both growth and decline. There are no registered bankruptcies in the industry, which shows a certain level of stability. Nevertheless, revenue and number of employees have varied significantly over time, with a decline of 53.5% from 2019 to 2020 and an increase of 78.1% from 2021 to 2022. This shows that the industry is sensitive to external factors such as economic crises and consumer downturns.

Development for Entrepreneurs

For entrepreneurs in Stord, data shows that the bar industry has growth potential, especially in Stord where there is existing infrastructure and activity in the form of Osvald Pub As. The increasing revenue in 2025 (25.5%) and the increase in the number of employees (from 23 to 26) show that there may be opportunities for new companies. However, entrepreneurs should be aware of the industry's uncertainty, as illustrated by the large variations in previous years.

Comparison with Broader Category

The broader category bar / club has five companies in Stord, compared to four in the bar industry. In 2026, this category had 39 employees, which shows slightly higher activity. One of the key peer companies in this category is Battery As (pub), which has 18 employees and 0 NOK revenue. This shows that the broader category includes companies with varying levels of activity, which can provide entrepreneurs in the bar industry with opportunities to expand into other segments.

The bar industry in Stord shows both opportunities and challenges. With existing infrastructure and growth in revenue and number of employees in 2025, it may be profitable to start a business in this industry. However, it is important to be aware of the industry's uncertainty and variations in previous years. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses in Stord for this industry, based on natural conditions and potential development trends.