The Coffee Shop Industry in Alta: An Analysis of Businesses, Statistics, and Outlooks

The coffee shop industry in Alta shows a dramatic decline over the past few years. Following a short-term increase in the number of employees between 2017–2018, all registered coffee shop businesses in the municipality have ceased operations from 2020 onward. This indicates an industry in crisis, with no current activities. Meanwhile, the broader restaurant and café industry in Alta shows a more stable, but fluctuating development, with both growth and decline in recent years.

Coffee shop businesses in Alta have been characterized by zero sales from 2016 to 2026, according to registered data. The number of employees saw a short-term increase from 5 in 2016 to 17 in 2018, followed by a sharp decline to 4 employees in 2019 and then zero employees from 2020 onward. This shows an industry that has lost all its businesses over the past five years.

Data Challenges

There is no registered sales data for coffee shop businesses in Alta from 2016 onward, which may indicate that the businesses were not registered on public websites or have been dissolved. This is a unique situation in Norway, where an entire industry in a municipality has disappeared from public registers.

Missing Registered Businesses

There are no registered coffee shop businesses in Alta according to public data. This is a unique situation, as there are no businesses in this industry in the municipality. There are also no organizational forms (such as AS, sole proprietorships, etc.) registered for coffee shop businesses in Alta.

Possible Causes

The lack of registered businesses may be due to:

• Complete dissolution of all coffee shop businesses from 2020 onward
• Lack of registration on public websites
• An industry that has not been active in Alta for several years

Missing Geographical Data

There is no available data on the geographical distribution of coffee shop businesses in Alta. This is due to the absence of registered businesses in the industry. In the broader restaurant and café industry in Alta, however, there is activity in several districts, such as Alta Center, Alta Storsenter, and Løkkeveien.

Bankruptcies and Dissolution

There is no public data on bankruptcies or dissolution of coffee shop businesses in Alta. This may be due to all businesses in the industry ceasing operations without going bankrupt. In the broader restaurant industry in Alta, however, there are several businesses that have gone bankrupt, such as:

• Altapizza As (bankruptcy estate)
• Aranya As (bankruptcy estate)
• Baan Thai As (compulsory dissolution estate)
• Alattio Pizza E Pasta (bankruptcy estate)
• Cbk Holding As (bankruptcy estate)
• Nasser's Kebab As (bankruptcy estate)
• Pizza Stein Sommer (bankruptcy estate)
• Porten Til Finnmark Randi Karlstrøm (bankruptcy estate)
• Sultan Marken Alta (bankruptcy estate)
• Tsunami Alta As (bankruptcy estate)
• Stjernegrillen V/sanobar Omarzai (bankruptcy estate)
• Stjernegrillen Alta As (bankruptcy estate)
• Bp Capital As (bankruptcy estate)
• F&b Alta As (bankruptcy estate)
• Altapizza As (bankruptcy estate)
• Æventyr Administrasjon (bankruptcy estate)
• Stakeriet (bankruptcy estate)

For entrepreneurs considering starting a coffee shop in Alta, the data show a very challenging market. There are no existing coffee shop businesses in the municipality, and all previous businesses have ceased operations. This may indicate:

• An industry that has not been successful in Alta
• A market with high competitiveness
• A need for unique offerings or innovation to survive

SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable locations in Alta for coffee shop businesses, with a focus on natural distribution and potential customers.

Comparison with Broader Industry

The broader restaurant and café industry in Alta has been more stable, with 35 businesses in the municipality. This is a significant difference from the coffee shop industry, which has no businesses. The broader industry also has higher sales (up to 115.4 million NOK in 2019) and more stable employees (284 in 2016, 322 in 2024).

Peer Businesses

The most profitable businesses in the broader industry include:

This shows that the most profitable businesses in the broader industry are pizzerias, cafes, and restaurant businesses with higher sales and employees than the coffee shop industry.

The coffee shop industry in Alta shows a unique situation in Norway, where there are no registered businesses in the industry. This is a challenge, but also an opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to establish themselves in a niche with low competitiveness. The broader restaurant and café industry in Alta shows a more stable development, with both growth and decline in recent years. Entrepreneurs should consider combining unique offerings with strategic placement to survive in this market.