The Café Industry in Lørenskog: Analysis of Companies, Statistics, and Outlook

The café industry in Lørenskog is a mix of established and new players, with a total of 10 registered companies. The industry has experienced both rising and falling trends over the years, with a significant sales and employment decline in 2020, but a gradual increase since 2022. The most significant companies are located in the Lørenskog city center, while activity in Finstadjordet and Rasta is more dispersed. EBITDA margins are generally negative, indicating that many companies face economic challenges. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find strategic addresses in the municipality for this industry.

Economic Overview

Sales and Employee Development:

• Sales: The industry reached a peak of NOK 13.4 million in 2017, but fell to NOK 2.0 million in 2021 before gradually rising to NOK 9.0 million in 2025. The most significant increase was recorded between 2021 and 2022 (+118.7 %).
• Employees: The number of employees declined from 24 in 2016 to 12 in 2021, but increased to 26 in 2026. The most significant increase was recorded between 2022 and 2023 (+92.3 %).

Financial Indicators:

• EBITDA margins are negative for most companies, with an average margin of -10 % in 2023. This indicates that many companies have high costs relative to revenue.
• Sales growth has been uneven, with a decline of -57.2 % between 2019 and 2020, but an increase of +103.6 % between 2022 and 2023.

Companies in the Industry

In Lørenskog, there are 10 registered companies in the café industry. The most significant companies are:

Organizational Form:

• 4 companies are organized as AS (40 % of total companies).
• 1 company is organized as DA (10 %).
• 5 companies are organized as ENK (50 %).

Notes:

• 5 companies have 0 employees and 0 sales, which may indicate new registrations or companies in the early stages.

Business Geography

Café activity in Lørenskog is most concentrated in central areas, with the following distribution:

Analysis:

• Lørenskog has the most activity with 2 companies and 16 employees, but with negative EBITDA margins.
• Finstadjordet and Rasta have lower activity, but Rasta has a positive sales surplus of NOK 1.8 million in 2023.

Business Dynamics

Bankruptcies and Company Changes:

• None of the 10 companies in the industry are registered as bankrupt, indicating relative stability.
• 5 companies have 0 employees and 0 sales, which may indicate new registrations or companies in the early stages.

Trends:

• There is a clear variation in financial results, with some companies achieving positive sales surpluses (e.g., Serveringsgjengen As) and others facing losses (e.g., Jordbærpikene Lørenskog As).
• There is a certain degree of company dynamics, with updates in organizational forms and changes in the number of employees over time.

Outlook for Entrepreneurs

The café industry in Lørenskog has shown both rising and falling trends over the years, with a significant decline in 2020 and a gradual increase since 2022. This indicates that the industry has a certain degree of resilience, but with challenges related to wage costs and EBITDA margins. Entrepreneurs should consider focusing on efficient operations and locating in central areas such as Lørenskog city center, where there is the most activity. There are also opportunities to establish new companies in areas with lower bankruptcy risk, such as Finstadjordet and Rasta.

Comparison with the Broader Industry:

• Number of Companies: The broader industry (restaurant/café) has 76 companies in Lørenskog, while the café industry has 10 companies. This shows that the café industry is a smaller part of the broader industry.
• Sales: The broader industry had total sales of NOK 119.8 million in 2016, while the café industry had NOK 12.5 million. This shows that the café industry is a smaller part of the broader industry.
• Employees: The broader industry had 263 employees in 2016, while the café industry had 24 employees. This shows that the café industry is a smaller part of the broader industry.

Peer Companies:

• The most significant peer companies in the broader industry include:
• Egon Triaden As (sales: NOK 33.0M, employees: 23, EBITDA: NOK 2.5M)
• Red Sun Restaurant Og Bar As (sales: NOK 7.0M, employees: 0, EBITDA: NOK 2.6M)
• Chopstix Restaurant As (sales: NOK 15.2M, employees: 25, EBITDA: NOK 902.0K)

Analysis:

• The broader industry has a higher degree of variation in financial results, with both companies with high EBITDA margins and companies with negative results.
• The café industry has a lower degree of variation in financial results, with a higher proportion of companies with negative EBITDA margins.

Conclusion

The café industry in Lørenskog is a mix of established and new companies with a certain degree of resilience, but with challenges related to wage costs and EBITDA margins. There are opportunities to establish new companies in central areas such as Lørenskog city center, where there is the most activity. Entrepreneurs should also consider focusing on efficient operations and locating in areas with lower bankruptcy risk, such as Finstadjordet and Rasta. The broader industry (restaurant/café) has a higher degree of variation in financial results, which shows that the café industry is a smaller part of the broader industry.