Street Food in Drammen: An Analysis of Companies, Statistics, and Outlooks

Street food in Drammen is a dynamic but variable industry with both growth periods and challenges. In 2025, 16 companies are registered in the sector, with a total of 116 employees and annual revenues of 32.4 million NOK. The industry has been marked by fluctuations over the years, with a significant sales increase from 2016 to 2019, followed by a decline in 2020 and a rise again in 2025. EBITDA margins have turned negative for several companies, indicating challenges in cost control and revenue levels. Meanwhile, some bankruptcies have been registered, but most companies are still in operation.

Sales and Employees Over Time

Sales (NOK):

• 2016: 16.5M
• 2017: 16.9M
• 2018: 23.5M
• 2019: 32.2M
• 2020: 26.9M
• 2021: 30.9M
• 2022: 23.2M
• 2023: 21.1M
• 2024: 20.3M
• 2025: 32.4M

Employees:

• 2016: 112
• 2017: 109
• 2018: 108
• 2019: 105
• 2020: 118
• 2021: 115
• 2022: 139
• 2023: 128
• 2024: 123
• 2025: 116

Sales experienced a significant increase from 2016 to 2019 (+36.9%), but fell by 16.5% in 2020. There has been a gradual increase since 2022, with a significant rise of 59.4% in 2025. Employees have been more stable, with a maximum increase of 20.9% in 2022 and a decline of 5.7% in 2025.

Registered Companies in the Industry

There are 16 companies registered in the street food industry in Drammen, with the following organizational forms:

• AS (14 companies): Total of 114 employees, sales of 17.8 million NOK, EBITDA of 174,000 NOK.
• ENK (1 company): 4 employees, no sales or EBITDA.

Examples of companies:

• Jordbærpikene Buskerud As (Krokstadelva): 18 employees, sales of 9.7 million NOK, EBITDA of 257,000 NOK.
• Subway Buskerud Storsenter (Krokstadelva): 10 employees, sales of 5.0 million NOK, EBITDA of 547,000 NOK.
• Galaxy Grillen As (Drammen): 4 employees, sales of 3.1 million NOK, EBITDA of -630,000 NOK.

Most companies have positive sales growth, but EBITDA margins vary significantly, with some companies operating at a loss.

Distribution of Activity in the Municipality

Street food activity is spread across several locations in Drammen:

Krokstadelva has the highest sales (14.7M) and EBITDA (804,000), while Mjøndalen, Svelvik, and Solbergelva have no activity in 2025. Drammen has a mix of companies with both positive and negative EBITDA.

Business Dynamics and Bankruptcy Statistics

The industry has been marked by variations in financial health:

• Bankruptcy: No companies are registered as bankrupt in 2025, but several have negative EBITDA (e.g., Galaxy Grillen As with -630,000 NOK).
• Sales and EBITDA: Jordbærpikene Buskerud As has a positive EBITDA (257,000 NOK), while Subway Buskerud Storsenter has a high EBITDA margin of 10%.
• Costs: Sales revenues and wage costs vary significantly, with some companies having high wage costs relative to sales (e.g., Galaxy Grillen As with 1.3M in wage costs on 3.1M sales).

The industry has a mix of companies with both stable and unstable financial results.

Street food in Drammen offers both opportunities and challenges for new entrepreneurs:

• Opportunities:
• Krokstadelva has high sales growth and positive EBITDA, indicating a good market potential.
• There is a sales increase from 2024 to 2025 (+59.4%), suggesting growing demand.
• Drammen has a mix of companies with different organizational forms, offering opportunities for various business models.

• Challenges:
• EBITDA margins have turned negative for several companies, indicating high costs or low revenue.
• Sales have been unstable over the years, with a decline of 24.7% in 2022 and an increase of 59.4% in 2025.
• Competition may be strong, especially in Krokstadelva where several companies have high sales growth.

Entrepreneurs should consider focusing on cost control and marketing to ensure profitability.

Comparison with the Fast Food Industry

The fast food industry in Drammen is larger and has a different dynamic:

• Number of companies: 47 companies in fast food, compared to 28 in street food.
• Sales: Fast food has higher sales (96.9M in 2025) compared to street food (32.4M in 2025).
• Employees: Fast food has 403 employees in 2025, compared to 116 in street food.
• EBITDA: Fast food has higher EBITDA for some companies (e.g., McDonald's Bragernestorg Avd 4 with 361,000 NOK), while street food has more variable EBITDA.

Examples of fast food companies in Drammen:

• McDonald's Bragernestorg Avd 4: 49 employees, sales of 29.1M, EBITDA of 361,000 NOK.
• Bakeriutsalget Krokstadelva As: 15 employees, sales of 10.5M, EBITDA of 1.0M.
• Frosthammer As: 23 employees, sales of 16.8M, EBITDA of 372,000 NOK.

The fast food industry has more stable sales growth and higher EBITDA for some companies, which can pose a challenge for street food entrepreneurs in competition.

Street food in Drammen is an industry with both opportunities and challenges. With sales growth in 2025 and a mix of companies with different organizational forms and financial results, it may be possible to establish oneself in the municipality. At the same time, it is important to be aware of the unstable sales growth and negative EBITDA margins some companies have. Entrepreneurs should consider focusing on cost control and marketing to ensure profitability. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses and develop strategies to succeed in this industry.