Fast food chain in Skien

Fast food chain in Skien is an important part of the local industry structure. In 2023, 3 companies operate in the sector, with a total of 97 employees and annual revenues of 87.1 million NOK. The sector has shown variable development in recent years, with a sharp decline in sales of 96.6% from 2024 to 2025. This underscores the need to analyze both economic trends and structural challenges in the industry.

Economic trends

Sales have shown strong fluctuations: An increase of 65.4% from 2018 to 2019, followed by a decline of 17.4% in 2020. In 2025, sales turnover of 972,919 NOK was recorded, a decline of 96.6% from 2024. Number of employees has grown from 26 in 2016 to 97 in 2023, but has since fallen to 88 in 2026. This shows an uneven development with both strong growth and sharp declines.

Table: Sales and employees per year

Economic indicators

• EBITDA margin: 10% in 2023, but no data for 2025.
• Gross margin: 227% in 2023, showing high value in the products.
• Total debt: 68.9 million NOK in 2023, which could be a challenge for new companies.

Registered companies in the sector

In Skien, the following companies are registered in the fast food chain sector:

1. Max Skien (Leirvollen 8, Skien)

• Organizational form: AS
• Employees: 37
• Sales: 87.1 million NOK
• EBITDA: 8.8 million NOK
• Status: Not bankrupt

1. McDonald's Skien Avd 5 (Ulefossvegen 32, Skien)

• Organizational form: AS
• Employees: 33
• Sales: 0 NOK (not reported)
• Status: Not bankrupt

1. Burger King Myren (Myren 1, Skien)

• Organizational form: AS
• Employees: 27
• Sales: 0 NOK (not reported)
• Status: Not bankrupt

Organizational form

All companies in the sector are registered as AS (Anonyme Selskaper), which is common for large fast food chains. There are no companies registered as sole proprietorships or limited liability companies.

Distribution of activity in the municipality

All 3 companies in the fast food chain sector in Skien are registered in the Skien area. There is no sub-counting of activity in sub-areas or districts. This suggests that the sector is centrally located in the municipality's main urban area, which can be an advantage for accessibility and customer base.

Dynamics in the sector

The sector has shown stability in bankruptcy statistics, with no registered bankruptcies among the 3 companies during the period. This suggests that the companies have good financial health, even though there are large fluctuations in sales and income.

Challenges

• Sharp decline in sales in 2025: From 28.3 million NOK in 2024 to 0.97 million NOK in 2025, a decline of 96.6%. This may be due to external factors such as the pandemic or changes in customer preferences.
• Different income levels: Max Skien has high income (87.1M) compared to McDonald's and Burger King, which do not report sales. This may indicate different operational strategies or data errors.

Outlook for entrepreneurs

For entrepreneurs in the fast food chain sector in Skien, there are both opportunities and challenges:

• Opportunities:
• Stable number of employees: Despite the decline in 2025, there are still 88 employees in 2026, showing that the sector has a certain degree of stability.
• High gross margin: 227% in 2023 shows that the sector has potential for high value in products.
• Central location: All companies are located in Skien, which can be an advantage for accessibility and customer base.

• Challenges:
• Large variation in sales: From 32.9M in 2019 to 0.97M in 2025 shows that the sector is sensitive to external factors.
• High debt: 68.9M in 2023 can be a challenge for new companies.

SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses in Skien for the fast food chain sector, based on natural conditions and market prospects.

Comparison with the quick service food sector

The quick service food sector in Skien has 12 companies, while the fast food chain sector has 3 companies. This shows that quick service food is a broader category that includes more sub-sectors.

Economic trends in quick service food

• Sales: Highest in 2019 with 51.0M, but fell to 7.7M in 2025 (decline of 81.5%).
• Number of employees: Increased from 55 in 2016 to 150 in 2023, but fell to 119 in 2025.

Peer companies in quick service food

Conclusion: The quick service food sector has a higher number of companies and greater sales fluctuations compared to fast food chain. This shows that quick service food is a more dynamic sector, but fast food chain has higher margins and stability in bankruptcy statistics.

Fast food chain in Skien is an industry with both opportunities and challenges. With 3 companies and 97 employees in 2023, as well as a high gross margin of 227%, there is potential for growth. However, sales data from 2025 shows that the industry is sensitive to external factors. Entrepreneurs should consider both economic trends and bankruptcy risk, as well as compare with the quick service food sector as a broader category. SmartGrunder can help find suitable addresses and market analyses for new companies in the sector.