Kebab House in Kristiansand: Industry Analysis and Outlook

The kebab house industry in Kristiansand is a small but active sector with four registered companies. The industry has experienced both growth and decline over the years, with a significant reduction in sales and number of employees in 2024. While some companies have shown stability, there are clear challenges in the form of low margins and negative operating results for certain businesses. The industry is located in a competitive sector (fast food) with many larger players, which can affect opportunities for new entrants.

Sales and Employees

• Sales: The industry reached a peak in 2022 with sales of NOK 10.1 million, but fell to NOK 3.3 million in 2024 before a weak increase to NOK 3.4 million in 2025. This decline is one of the most significant in the data.
• Employees: The number of employees increased from 6 in 2016 to 15 in 2020, but has since fallen to 7 employees in 2024. There is a clear trend of reduction after 2022.

Operating Results

• The EBITDA margin is 0% for most companies, indicating weak operating results. Some companies have negative operating results, such as Kebab House Kristiansand As with an operating result of NOK -107,000.
• Gross margin is 65%, showing that there is potential for improvement in operating results through cost optimization.

Registered Companies

Kristiansand has four registered companies within the kebab house industry:

Organizational Form

• AS is the most common organizational form, with two companies and 9 employees. This indicates that the industry is dominated by smaller companies with limited capital.
• Kebab House Kristiansand As has no employees and shows negative operating results, which may indicate inactivity or closure.

Distribution of Business

• Kristiansand is the only municipality with activity within the kebab house industry. Here we find 2 companies and 9 employees.
• Operating income: NOK 3.4 million, with an operating result per employee of NOK 1.1 million.
• EBITDA: NOK 22,000, showing weak operating results for most companies.
• Gross margin: 65%, indicating that there is potential for improvement in operating results through cost optimization.

Operational Efficiency and Bankruptcy Statistics

• Bankruptcy: There are no registered bankruptcies in the industry in Kristiansand, but there are several companies with negative operating results. This may indicate that the businesses are in a weak financial situation.
• Kebab House Kristiansand As has a negative operating result of NOK -107,000 and no employees, which may indicate closure or inactivity.
• Kebab House Kristiansand has no sales or employees, which may indicate that the company is not active.

Conclusion

• The industry has low operational efficiency, with many companies having negative operating results and low EBITDA margins. However, there are no bankruptcies, indicating that the businesses are still operating, despite economic challenges.

• Competitiveness: The industry is located in a competitive sector (fast food) with many larger players, which can affect opportunities for new entrants.
• Operating results: Most companies have low EBITDA margins or negative operating results, indicating challenges in operating results. Founders must therefore be prepared to work on cost optimization and streamlining.
• Market share: The industry has a small market share compared to the larger players in the fast food sector, which can provide opportunities for specialization or differentiation.
• Location: Kristiansand is a large city with good infrastructure and a good market for fast food, which can be an advantage for new entrants.

Recommendation

• Founders should consider focusing on cost optimization and streamlining to improve operating results. It may also be beneficial to differentiate from the larger players in the fast food sector.

Comparison with the Fast Food Sector

• Number of companies: The fast food sector has 52 companies in Kristiansand, while the kebab house industry has 4 companies. This shows that the fast food sector is much larger and more competitive.
• Sales: The fast food sector reached a peak in 2019 with sales of NOK 181 million, while the kebab house industry reached a peak in 2022 with sales of NOK 10.1 million. This shows that the fast food sector has a much larger market share.
• Employees: The fast food sector had 581 employees in 2022, while the kebab house industry had 12 employees in 2022. This shows that the fast food sector is much larger and more labor-intensive.

Peer Companies in the Fast Food Sector

Conclusion

• The fast food sector is much larger and more competitive than the kebab house industry. Founders should therefore consider focusing on differentiating themselves from the larger players in the fast food sector to achieve a good market share.

The kebab house industry in Kristiansand is a small but active sector with four registered companies. The industry has experienced both growth and decline over the years, with a significant reduction in sales and number of employees in 2024. While some companies have shown stability, there are clear challenges in the form of low margins and negative operating results for certain businesses. The industry is located in a competitive sector (fast food) with many larger players, which can affect opportunities for new entrants. SmartGrunder can help founders find good locations in Kristiansand for this industry.