The Café Industry in Lillehammer: Current Status and Future Prospects

Brief Overview of the Café Industry in Lillehammer

The café industry in Lillehammer is a small but growing sector with two registered companies in 2025. The industry has shown strong economic results, with annual sales growth of 9.3% from 2023 to 2024. The EBITDA margin stands at 2%, indicating relatively stable operations. Employee growth has been more gradual, increasing from 23 to 25 employees in 2024. The industry has no bankruptcy registrations, suggesting a stable and robust sector.

The café industry in Lillehammer has shown significant sales and employee growth over the past few years. Sales have increased from NOK 1.9 million in 2019 to NOK 15.4 million in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 31.8%. Employee growth has been more gradual, increasing from 3 employees in 2019 to 25 employees in 2024. The most significant sales growth occurred from 2022 to 2023, with an increase of 97.8%. The EBITDA margin has varied between 0% and 4%, with an average value of 2% over the period.

Registered Companies in the Industry

In Lillehammer, the following companies are registered in the café industry:

1. D Coffee As Avd 6122 Strandtorget (Strandpromenaden 85)

• Legal Form: AS
• Number of Employees: 16
• Sales: NOK 9.2 million
• EBITDA: NOK 21,900
• Founded: 2022-11-14

1. Espresso House Norge As Avd Lillehammer 860 (Storgata 55)

• Legal Form: AS
• Number of Employees: 9
• Sales: NOK 5.6 million
• EBITDA: NOK 282,400
• Founded: 2019-07-01

Both companies are AS entities, and there are no registered bankruptcies in the industry.

The café industry in Lillehammer is concentrated in central parts of the municipality:

• Strandpromenaden 85: D Coffee As (2 employees)
• Storgata 55: Espresso House Norge As (1 employee)

There are no registered cafés in other parts of the municipality. The geographic concentration suggests that cafés in Lillehammer are primarily located in tourist and historically significant areas, such as Strandpromenaden and Storgata.

Operational Dynamics and Bankruptcy Statistics

The café industry in Lillehammer has shown itself to be relatively stable over time. There are no registered bankruptcies in the industry, indicating that companies have managed to handle economic challenges. The operating result has been negative for D Coffee As (NOK -302,800) but positive for Espresso House Norge As (NOK 56,800). The EBITDA margin stands at 2% for the industry, indicating relatively stable operations.

Future Prospects for Entrepreneurs

The café industry in Lillehammer shows potential for further growth, especially in light of the positive sales growth over the past few years. With 25 employees in 2024 and an EBITDA margin of 2%, a new café could benefit from the existing infrastructure and tourist flow in the municipality. However, it is important to be aware of competition from existing companies and the small variations in operating results. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable locations in Lillehammer for café operations.

Comparison with the Broader Restaurant/Café Sector

The café industry in Lillehammer constitutes a small part of the broader restaurant/café sector in the municipality, which has 64 companies. The broader sector has shown more gradual sales growth (NOK 269.4 million in 2025) compared to the café industry. The EBITDA margin for the restaurant/café sector stands at 1.5%, which is slightly lower than the café industry. Examples of competitors in the broader sector include:

• Heim Lillehammer As (restaurant, NOK 28.4 million in sales, NOK 5.3 million EBITDA)
• Egon Lillehammer As (restaurant, NOK 36.6 million in sales, NOK 4.4 million EBITDA)
• Paa Bordet As (restaurant, NOK 26.6 million in sales, NOK 4.4 million EBITDA)

The café industry therefore has a relatively better EBITDA margin compared to other parts of the restaurant sector.

The café industry in Lillehammer is a small but growing sector with potential for further development. With two registered companies and stable economic development, a new café could benefit from the existing infrastructure and tourist flow in the municipality. However, it is important to be aware of competition from existing companies and the small variations in operating results. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable locations in Lillehammer for café operations.