Street Food in Skien

Street food in Skien is a dynamic but variable industry with 5 registered companies and 27 employees in 2026. The industry has shown both strong growth and challenges, with a 450% increase in sales for one company in 2023, but also a significant decline in 2020. The industry is spread across Skien's central areas, with a mix of AS and ENK entities. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find optimal locations in the municipality.

Economic trends

Sales and employees (2016–2026):

Key points:

• Sales experienced a sharp decline in 2020 (64.4% decrease from 2019), but a strong increase in 2019 (56.1% increase from 2018).
• The number of employees reached its highest level in 2023 (32 employees), but has since decreased by 15.6% in 2024 and 37% in 2025.

Registered companies

5 companies in the industry:

1. Sub 7 As (Ulefossvegen 32) – 12 employees, AS entity, 0 sales in 2026
2. Hotwheelpizza As (Rødmyrjordet 37) – 4 employees, AS entity, 8.6M sales in 2023
3. Lie Gatekjøkken Asmari (Torggata 22) – 2 employees, ENK entity, 0 sales in 2026
4. Chili Thai As (Falkumjordet 7) – 0 employees, AS entity, 0 sales in 2026
5. Seven Catering Da (Bølevegen 150) – 0 employees, DA entity, 0 sales in 2026

Organizational forms:

• AS (2 companies): 16 employees, 8.6M sales, 3% EBITDA margin
• ENK (1 company): 2 employees, 0 sales, 0% EBITDA margin

Geographic distribution

Activity in Skien:

Key points:

• All companies are located in Skien's central areas (Ulefossvegen, Torggata, Rødmyrjordet).
• One of the most active locations is Ulefossvegen 32, where Hotwheelpizza As and Sub 7 As are registered.

Industry dynamics

Bankruptcies and activity:

• No companies are registered as bankrupt in the industry.
• Two companies (Sub 7 As and Seven Catering Da) have 0 sales and 0 employees in 2026, indicating inactivity.
• Hotwheelpizza As has a strong economy with 8.6M sales and 327,000 NOK EBITDA in 2023, but a decline in 2024.

Conclusion: The industry has both stable and unstable companies, but no bankruptcies. This indicates a relatively stable industry, even though some companies face challenges.

Outlook for entrepreneurs

Opportunities:

• Strong growth potential for companies with high quality and marketing (e.g., Hotwheelpizza As had a 450% sales increase in 2023).
• Low competition level compared to fast food chains in Skien (e.g., McDonald's and Max Skien).

Challenges:

• Unstable sales figures (e.g., 64.4% decrease in 2020).
• Low number of employees (15 in 2026) may indicate limited capacity to expand.

Recommendation: Entrepreneurs should focus on locations with high traffic and differentiated offerings, and consider partnerships with local chains to expand the market.

Contrast between fast food and street food:

• Fast food industry has 12 companies in Skien, compared to 5 companies in street food.
• Fast food sales: 43.4M NOK in 2023 (vs. 1.9M NOK in street food).
• Fast food employees: 150 in 2023 (vs. 32 in street food).

Peer companies in fast food:

Conclusion: The fast food industry is much larger and more stable, but street food has a higher EBITDA margin (3% vs. 0% in fast food). Entrepreneurs should consider combining street food with fast food offerings to increase stability.

Conclusion

Street food in Skien has both opportunities and challenges. The industry has shown strong growth in certain periods, but also significant variations in sales and employees. Entrepreneurs should focus on establishing themselves in central locations and developing differentiated offerings. At the same time, collaboration with fast food chains can provide increased growth opportunities. SmartGrunder can help find optimal locations and analyze market prospects in the municipality.