Street Food in Horten: Industry Analysis and Outlook

Street food in Horten is a dynamic but variable industry with 10 registered companies and 38 employees in 2026. The two most represented organizational forms are AS (2 companies, 37 employees) and ENK (1 company, 4 employees). The industry shows a mix of stable businesses and recently started companies with zero revenue. The broader fast food sector in the municipality has 16 companies, showing that street food is part of a larger, more diversified industry.

Economic trends

Sales development (2016–2025):

• Largest increase: +67.4% from 2016 to 2017
• Largest decline: -24.8% from 2019 to 2020 (possibly affected by the pandemic)
• Last year: NOK 17.8 million in 2025, a decrease of 7.9% from 2024

Employee development (2016–2026):

• Largest increase: +14.9% from 2021 to 2022
• Largest decline: -33.3% from 2022 to 2023
• 38 employees in 2026, a stabilization after a decline in 2025

Margins and profit:

• EBITDA margin: -3% in 2026 (negative for four of the ten companies)
• Operating margin: -3% in 2026, but positive for two companies (Hch As and Agneta As)
• Average gross margin: 66% (high for a food industry)

Registered companies in the industry

Organizational form statistics:

• AS: 2 companies, 37 employees, NOK 18.2M operating revenue
• ENK: 1 company, 4 employees, NOK 0 operating revenue
• KOMM: 1 company, 0 employees, NOK 0 operating revenue

Geographic distribution

Horten (the capital):

• 3 companies, 41 employees, NOK 18.2M operating revenue
• Hch As and Agneta As are the most significant businesses

Other areas in the municipality:

• Borre: Jano Desi Food Bashir (0 employees, NOK 0 revenue)
• Skoppum: Mimo Pizza Saadi (0 employees, NOK 0 revenue)
• Åsgårdstrand: Tnt Nguyen (0 employees, NOK 0 revenue)

Conclusion: Horten is the capital of the street food industry, with 75% of all employees and 80% of operating revenue concentrated in the municipality's center.

Operational efficiency and dynamics

Bankruptcies:

• No bankruptcies registered in the industry in 2025
• Four companies have zero revenue and employees (Donut House Vestfold Methlie, Danials Pizza Rahil Akram, Food U Love, Minidonut Nedregård)

Operational results:

• Hch As and Agneta As are the only companies with positive operating results (NOK -220K and NOK -456K respectively)
• EBITDA is negative for all companies except Hch As (NOK -153K)
• Average operating result per employee: NOK -15.7K (negative for 8 of 10 companies)

Outlook for entrepreneurs

Positive aspects:

• Horten has good infrastructure for street food (postal code 3187 has 10 companies)
• The broader fast food sector has grown by +13.8% from 2023 to 2024
• High gross margins (66%) indicate potential for efficient operations

Development challenges:

• Negative EBITDA margin (-3%) for the street food industry in 2026
• Larger companies in the fast food sector have higher EBITDA (e.g., Burger King Avd 5506 Horten with NOK 2.2M)
• Large variation in businesses (from 0 employees to 23 employees)

Recommendation:

• Focus on location in Horten's city center
• Consider adapting to fast food chains if possible
• Establish companies with ENK or AS forms for better financing opportunities

Outlook for the fast food sector

Contrast to street food:

• The fast food sector has 16 companies (vs. 10 in street food)
• Sales in fast food: NOK 53.6M in 2025 (vs. NOK 17.8M in street food)
• Employees in fast food: 87 in 2026 (vs. 38 in street food)

Peer companies in fast food:

Conclusion: The fast food sector has higher volume and more stable operations, but street food has higher gross margins. Entrepreneurs should consider combining street food with fast food strategies to leverage both high margins and large volume.

Street food in Horten shows potential for entrepreneurs focusing on location in the municipality's city center and efficient operations. Although the industry has faced challenges with negative EBITDA and variable revenue, there are opportunities in the broader fast food sector. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find optimal addresses and consider organizational forms such as AS or ENK to maximize operational efficiency.