The Coffee Shop Industry in Oslo: Companies, Economics, and Outlooks

The coffee shop industry in Oslo is an important part of the city's service sector, with 90 registered companies in the municipality. The industry has shown variation in its development over the years, with a significant decline during the pandemic (2020–2021), but a gradual increase since 2022. In 2025, the industry had 852 employees and annual revenues of 562.2 million NOK. This article provides a detailed overview of companies, economic trends, geographic distributions, and opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Economic trends

Annual revenues and employees:

The industry showed stable growth before the pandemic, with an annual growth rate of 11.3% from 2016 to 2017. During the pandemic (2020–2021), revenues fell by 24.9% and employees decreased by 11.8%. From 2022, the industry has grown by 2.6% in annual revenues and 1.1% in employees in 2025. The EBITDA margin stands at 5%, indicating moderate profitability.

Critical points:

• Low EBITDA margin (5%) compared to other restaurant sectors.
• Large variation in company performance, with some companies achieving high EBITDA (e.g., Espresso House Norge AS) and others with negative values (e.g., Masalabox AS).

Key players in the industry

The industry in Oslo consists of 90 companies, but only 16 are detailed here. The most well-known companies include:

• Espresso House Norge AS (multiple locations in Oslo) with 29–26 employees and EBITDA of 847.2K–1.1M.
• Kaffebrenneriet AS with 18 employees and EBITDA of 1.3M.
• Hakone Coffee Storgata with 39 employees, but no revenues reported.

Organizational forms:

• All companies are registered as AS (Aktieselskap), which is typical for small and medium-sized businesses in Norway.

Bankruptcy safety:

• None of the listed companies are registered as bankrupt, indicating a stable industry.

Geographic distribution

All 90 companies in the industry are registered in Oslo, with a focus on central areas such as:

• Stranden (Espresso House, D. Coffee)
• Storgata (Hakone Coffee)
• Schous Plass (Stockfleth AS)
• Jernbanetorget (Espresso House, Ø Hallen Pubdrift AS)

Mapping:

• Companies are spread across several districts, but most concentrated in Oslo city center and near tourist attractions.
• This indicates a strategic location to reach both local and international customers.

Industry dynamics

Competitiveness:

• The industry grew by 2.6% in annual revenues in 2025, but with a low EBITDA margin (5%), indicating high competition.
• Some companies have negative EBITDA (e.g., Masalabox AS), which may indicate economic challenges.

Stability:

• No bankrupt companies reported in the industry, indicating a stable industry.
• Larger companies such as Espresso House Norge AS have shown consistent growth in revenues and EBITDA.

Outlook for entrepreneurs

Opportunities:

• Increasing revenues (2.6% growth in 2025) and stable employee numbers (852 in 2025) indicate a gradual revival of the industry.
• Oslo is an attractive market for coffee shops due to high tourist activity and cultural interest.

Challenges:

• Low EBITDA margin (5%) and high competitiveness may make it challenging to achieve profitability.
• Entrepreneurs should consider unique differentiation factors (e.g., quality, location, or culture) to stand out.

Comparison with broader sector

Restaurant/café sector in Oslo:

• Has 2401 companies, with 23,825 employees and annual revenues of 7981.4 million NOK in 2025.
• The coffee shop industry accounts for 3.7% of the sector (90 companies of 2401), but has a lower EBITDA margin (5% vs. the sector's average of 10%).

Peer companies:

• Examples of competitors in the broader sector:
• Oslo Street Food AS (café) with 56 employees and EBITDA of 23.1M.
• Pincho Nation Norge AS (restaurant) with 115 employees and EBITDA of 15.3M.

Conclusion:

• The coffee shop industry is part of a larger, more diversified sector, but with lower profitability. Entrepreneurs should consider combining the coffee shop model with unique offerings to compete with larger companies.

Conclusion

The coffee shop industry in Oslo has shown gradual revival after the pandemic, with 852 employees and 562.2 million NOK in annual revenues in 2025. The industry is stable with no bankrupt companies reported, but with a low EBITDA margin (5%). Entrepreneurs should consider positioning themselves in central locations and differentiate themselves through quality or unique offerings. At the same time, the industry is part of a larger, more diversified restaurant/café sector, where competition is high. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find optimal addresses in Oslo for coffee shop operations.