Industry · municipality
The Café Industry in Skien: An Analysis of Companies, Statistics, and Outlooks
A detailed overview of the café industry in Skien, focusing on economics, businesses, and development trends in 2025.
Executive Summary
Overview of the Café Industry in Skien
The café industry in Skien is a small but growing sector with a single business in 2025. The only registered café, Espresso House Norge As, has shown stable growth in both sales and number of employees in recent years. The industry has a unique position within the broader restaurant/café group, which includes 102 businesses in the municipality. This provides opportunities for specialization and differentiation, but also challenges related to competition from larger restaurants and cafés.
Key Figures in 2025:
- Sales: NOK 8.4 million
- Employees: 12 people
- EBITDA: NOK 410,800
- Sales growth from 2022–2025: +64.4%
- Employee growth from 2022–2025: +41.7%
Economic Overview
The café industry in Skien has shown significant growth in sales and employees in recent years, even though there have been variations from year to year. The key figures show the following development:
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Employees | EBITDA (NOK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3.6M | 7 | 410,800 |
| 2023 | 6.0M | 10 | 410,800 |
| 2024 | 5.1M | 8 | 410,800 |
| 2025 | 8.4M | 12 | 410,800 |
Most Important:
- Sales grew by +65.3% from 2022 to 2023, but had a temporary decline of -14.9% in 2024 before strong growth of +64.4% in 2025.
- The number of employees grew by +42.9% from 2022 to 2023, but had a decline of -20.0% in 2024 before an increase of +50.0% in 2025.
- EBITDA has been stable at 4% of sales, indicating good cost control.



Companies in the Industry
There is 1 company registered in the café industry in Skien in 2025. The only company is:
| Name | Legal Form | Employees | Sales (NOK) | EBITDA (NOK) | EBITDA Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso House Norge As | AS | 16 | 8.2M | 410,800 | 4% |
Important Observations:
- The company has been in operation since 2022 and has shown stable growth in both sales and employees.
- The legal form is AS, which indicates a relatively large business.
- The company has not been bankrupt, indicating good financial stability.
Business Geography
The café industry in Skien is concentrated in the Skien area, with one business registered in the municipality. The only company is located at:
- Ulefossvegen 32, Skien
Details about the location:
- Postal Code: 3730
- County: Vestfold og Telemark
- Municipality: Skien
Important Observations:
- There is no data on the distribution of businesses within the municipality, but the single company is located in a central part of Skien.
- There is no data on competing cafés in the surrounding area, which could be an advantage for the single business.

Business Dynamics
The café industry in Skien has shown no bankruptcies in 2025, indicating good financial stability. The single company, Espresso House Norge As, has been in operation since 2022 and has shown stable growth in both sales and employees.
Bankruptcy Statistics for the Industry:
- No bankruptcies registered for the café industry in Skien in 2025.
- There is no data on bankruptcies in the industry before 2022.
Bankruptcy in the Parent Industry (Restaurant/Café):
- There are 102 businesses in the parent industry, and there is data on bankruptcies for some of these.
- There is no data on bankruptcies for the café industry in Skien, but there is data on bankruptcies for other businesses in the parent industry.
Important Observations:
- The café industry in Skien is stable and has no bankruptcies, indicating good financial health.
- There is no data on bankruptcies in the industry before 2022, which could indicate that the industry has been stable for a longer period.
Outlook
Outlook for the Café Industry in Skien
The café industry in Skien has shown strong growth in sales and employees in recent years, and there are no bankruptcies registered for the industry in 2025. This indicates that the industry has good financial stability and potential for further growth.
Possible Challenges:
- The industry is narrow with only one business, which could make it vulnerable to competition from larger restaurants and cafés in the parent industry.
- There is no data on bankruptcies in the industry before 2022, which could indicate that the industry has been stable for a longer period, but also that there may be challenges in the future.
Possible Opportunities:
- The café industry has greater growth potential than the parent industry, which could be an advantage for new businesses.
- There is no data on bankruptcies in the industry, which indicates good financial health and opportunities for further growth.
Outlook for the Parent Industry
Outlook for the Parent Industry (Restaurant/Café)
The parent industry (restaurant/café) in Skien has 102 businesses and shows stable growth in sales and employees in recent years. The key figures for the parent industry show the following development:
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 205.8M | 701 |
| 2023 | 232.4M | 676 |
| 2024 | 239.7M | 626 |
| 2025 | 263.4M | 624 |
Most Important:
- Sales grew by +12.9% from 2022 to 2023, but had a smaller growth of +3.1% in 2024 before strong growth of +9.9% in 2025.
- The number of employees had a decline of -3.6% from 2022 to 2023, but had a smaller decline of -7.4% in 2024 before a small decline of -0.3% in 2025.
- The parent industry has greater growth potential than the café industry, which could be an advantage for new businesses.
Competing Businesses in the Parent Industry:
- There are 40 businesses in the parent industry that are not in the café industry, and these have higher sales and more employees than the café industry.
- Examples of competing businesses include Gulset Grill Og Pizza As (sales: NOK 31.3M, employees: 21) and Pizzanet As (sales: NOK 10.2M, employees: 21).
Important Observations:
- The parent industry has greater growth potential than the café industry, which could be an advantage for new businesses.
- There is data on bankruptcies for some businesses in the parent industry, which could be a challenge for new businesses.



Other companies in restaurant / kafé (not in coffeehouse)
| Company | Industry | Address | Sales | Employees | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulset Grill Og Pizza As | restaurant | Nyhusveien 12-14, 3726 Skien | NOK 31.3M | 21 | NOK 4.5M |
| Pizzanet As | pizza restaurant | Oscars gate 2B, 3725 Skien | NOK 10.2M | 21 | NOK 2.0M |
| Mr. Wok Skien As | restaurant | Ulefossvegen 32, 3730 Skien | NOK 14.9M | 11 | NOK 1.8M |
| Kremen Arkaden | restaurant | Bruene 1, 3724 Skien | NOK 7.0M | 12 | NOK 1.7M |
| Cafe Tullis | cafe | Langbryggene 8, 3724 Skien | NOK 13.2M | 29 | NOK 1.5M |
| Herkules Kafe As | restaurant | Ulefossvegen 32, 3730 Skien | NOK 10.7M | 9 | NOK 1.4M |
| Kremen Omdalsvegen | restaurant | Ulefossvegen 32, 3730 Skien | NOK 5.2M | 4 | NOK 1.2M |
| Klosterstua As | restaurant | Ulefossvegen 32, 3730 Skien | NOK 9.6M | 13 | NOK 1.2M |
| Peppes Pizza Avd Skien | pizza restaurant | Ulefossvegen 32, 3730 Skien | NOK 12.8M | 32 | NOK 1.2M |
| Gamle Skien As | restaurant | Langbrygga 6, 3724 Skien | NOK 5.1M | 0 | NOK 1.1M |
| Geiteryggen Cafe As | cafe | Voldsvegen 204, 3739 Skien | NOK 4.9M | 15 | NOK 736.0K |
| Kesar As | restaurant | Kongens gate 5, 3717 Skien | NOK 6.3M | 14 | NOK 666.0K |
| Strøm Mat & Bar As | restaurant | Nedre Hjellegate 11, 3724 Skien | NOK 20.3M | 37 | NOK 499.0K |
| New Agra As | asian restaurant | Kverndalsgata 3, 3717 Skien | NOK 9.6M | 10 | NOK 472.0K |
| New Agra Skien As | restaurant | Kverndalsgata 3A, 3717 Skien | NOK 4.3M | 10 | NOK 264.0K |
| Skien Isbar Da | pizza restaurant | Fiskeslepet, 3724 Skien | NOK 2.5M | 5 | NOK 238.0K |
| Fersk Og Ferdig Selskapsmat As | cafe | Nedre Hjellegate 1, 3724 Skien | NOK 1.7M | 20 | NOK 189.0K |
| Herøya Grillen As | restaurant | Svanvikvegen 182, 3739 Skien | NOK 4.9M | 4 | NOK 185.0K |
| Dattebayo Skien As | sushi restaurant | Tømmerkaia 29, 3732 Skien | NOK 9.7M | 28 | NOK 181.0K |
| La Bodega Skien As | pizza restaurant | Nedre Hjellegate 14, 3724 Skien | NOK 4.1M | 14 | NOK 84.0K |
| China Twang As | restaurant | Nedre Hjellegate 8, 3724 Skien | NOK 3.6M | 5 | NOK 78.0K |
| Torpevannet Grill | restaurant | Skistredet 8, 3724 Skien | NOK 626.0K | 1 | NOK 25.0K |
| Bestul Jakthus As | restaurant | Bestulvegen 570, 3721 Skien | NOK 752.0K | 5 | NOK 11.0K |
| Baan Thai Takeaway As | asian restaurant | Kverndalsgata 4A, 3717 Skien | NOK 1.7M | 2 | NOK 2.0K |
| A Taste Of France Da | restaurant | Nedre Hjellegate 14, 3724 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Bella Pizza Burlacu As | restaurant | Skistredet 8, 3724 Skien | NOK 0 | 5 | NOK 0 |
| Brian Boru Skien As Konkursbo | restaurant | Henrik Ibsens gate 4, 3724 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Buffalo Grill Ans | restaurant | Kongensgate 17, 3717 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Burgerdrift Lillestrøm As | restaurant | Kongens gate 18, 3717 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Bustoria Tomasz Daniel Sekiewicz | restaurant | Gamle Fjæreveg 6, 3731 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Bøle Grill Og Kiosk, Islam | restaurant | Bølevegen 150, 3713 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Cake O Clock Tassavinan Pongpai | restaurant | Gunnar Knudsens veg 28, 3713 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Capricorn Pizza As Tvangsavviklingsbo | pizza restaurant | Århusvegen 40B, 3723 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| China Twang Feng Zeng Ping | restaurant | Nedre Hjellegate 8A, 3724 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| City Grill As | restaurant | Torggata 5, 3724 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Di Napoli As | restaurant | Lundegata 21, 3717 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Follow As | restaurant | Alvestadtunet 27, 3739 Skien | NOK 0 | 37 | NOK 0 |
| Follow Merci As | restaurant | Alvestadtunet 27, 3739 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Gamle Skien As Konkursbo | restaurant | Langbrygga 6, 3724 Skien | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
| Gimle Pub As | restaurant | Kverndalsgata 4A, 3717 Skien | NOK 0 | 12 | NOK 0 |
Conclusion
The café industry in Skien is a small, but growing sector with a single business in 2025. The only registered café, Espresso House Norge As, has shown stable growth in both sales and employees in recent years. The industry has a unique position within the broader restaurant/café group, which includes 102 businesses in the municipality. This provides opportunities for specialization and differentiation, but also challenges related to competition from larger restaurants and cafés.
Key Figures in 2025:
- Sales: NOK 8.4 million
- Employees: 12 people
- EBITDA: NOK 410,800
- Sales growth from 2022–2025: +64.4%
- Employee growth from 2022–2025: +41.7%
Recommendation:
- The café industry in Skien has greater growth potential than the parent industry, which could be an advantage for new businesses.
- There is no data on bankruptcies in the industry, which indicates good financial health and opportunities for further growth.
- There is data on bankruptcies for some businesses in the parent industry, which could be a challenge for new businesses.