The Café Industry in Vestvågøy: Current Status and Future Outlook

The Café Industry in Vestvågøy: Current Status and Future Outlook

The café industry in Vestvågøy consists of four registered companies, distributed across two central urban areas: Leknes and Gravdal. The industry has shown both strength and instability over time, with a significant sales and employment decline in 2022–2023, followed by a gradual recovery in 2025. One of the four businesses (Jordbærpikene Lofoten As) has no operational results, while Sjokoladerommet As in Gravdal has demonstrated solid figures with 13% revenue growth and a 13% EBITDA margin. The industry has growth potential, especially in a tourist-oriented municipality like Vestvågøy, but must address challenges such as competition and economic fluctuations.

Sales Development (2016–2025):

• 2016: NOK 2.7 million
• 2021: NOK 8.4 million (highest level)
• 2022: NOK 4.6 million (decline of 45.1%)
• 2023: NOK 1.8 million (decline of 61.0%)
• 2025: NOK 2.1 million (increase of 16.0%)

Employees (2016–2026):

• 2016: 33 employees
• 2023: 35 employees (highest level)
• 2025: 26 employees (decline of 25.7%)
• 2026: 30 employees (increase of 15.4%)

The industry experienced strong growth until 2021, followed by a sharp decline in 2022–2023. There is a gradual recovery in 2025, but figures remain below the 2021 level. Employee numbers have shown a more stable development, with a short-term decline in 2025 before an increase in 2026.

Registered Companies (4):

1. Jordbærpikene Lofoten As (Leknes) – AS, 17 employees, no operational results
2. Sjokoladerommet As (Gravdal) – AS, 11 employees, 13% EBITDA margin
3. Kaikanten Kro Og Rorbu As (Sennesvik) – AS, 0 employees, no operational results
4. L.martinsen (Sennesvik) – ENK, 0 employees, no operational results

Organizational Form:

• AS: 2 companies, 28 employees, NOK 2.1 million in operational income
• ENK: 1 company, 0 employees, no operational results

Two of the companies (Jordbærpikene and Kaikanten) have no operational results, while Sjokoladerommet has demonstrated solid figures. There is a clear difference in organizational forms, with AS dominating.

Leknes (1 company):

• Jordbærpikene Lofoten As – 17 employees, no operational results

Gravdal (1 company):

• Sjokoladerommet As – 11 employees, 13% EBITDA margin, 13% revenue growth

Other Areas (Sennesvik):

• Kaikanten Kro Og Rorbu As and L.martinsen – no operational results

Gravdal has a clearly better economic performance compared to Leknes. Sjokoladerommet As in Gravdal is one of the few businesses with positive figures, while Leknes and Sennesvik have companies without operational results.

Bankruptcies and Economic Challenges:

• No bankruptcies reported for the café industry in Vestvågøy.
• Biggest challenge: Sales and employee decline in 2022–2023, with a 61.0% sales decline and a 25.7% employee decline.
• Stability: No companies have gone bankrupt, but two of the four businesses have no operational results.

Conclusion: The industry has proven to be relatively stable, but with significant fluctuations. There is a need for increased economic resilience to handle future fluctuations.

Future Outlook for the Café Industry

Opportunities:

• Tourist Proximity: Vestvågøy is a popular tourist destination, providing growth potential for the café industry.
• Differentiation: Sjokoladerommet As has shown that a unique offering (chocolate room) can generate solid results.

Challenges:

• Competitiveness: The industry must compete with both local and national cafés.
• Economic Fluctuations: Sales and employee numbers have shown significant fluctuations, which can affect investments and operations.

Recommendation: For entrepreneurs, it is important to focus on differentiation, quality, and adaptation to local needs to ensure stability and growth.

Outlook for the Restaurant and Café Industry in Vestvågøy

Parent Category (Restaurant/Café):

• Number of Companies: 21 (the industry has 4 companies)
• Sales (2025): NOK 21.8 million (café industry: NOK 2.1 million)
• Employees (2026): 157 (café industry: 30)

Peer Companies in the Parent Category:

• Live Lofoten As (restaurant) – NOK 14.9 million in sales, NOK 1.4 million EBITDA
• Leknes Grillkjøkken As (restaurant) – NOK 3.2 million in sales, NOK -44,000 EBITDA
• Lofoten Mat Og Vin As (restaurant) – NOK 10.6 million in sales, NOK -873,000 EBITDA

Conclusion: The parent category has a much larger scale and more varied economic performance. The café industry must differentiate itself to compete effectively in a broader market.

The café industry in Vestvågøy has both opportunities and challenges. With tourist proximity and a relatively stable economic environment, the industry can grow, but innovation and differentiation are necessary. Sjokoladerommet As in Gravdal demonstrates that a unique offering can generate solid results. For entrepreneurs, it is important to analyze local needs and competitiveness. SmartGrunder can help find optimal addresses and strategies to establish oneself in Vestvågøy.