The Pizza Restaurant Industry in Hamar: Current Status and Outlook

The pizza restaurant industry in Hamar has shown highly uneven development over the years. Sales and employees have fluctuated constantly, with a total sales decline of 32.7% from 2024 to 2025. The only operating company, Pizzatia, had a negative EBITDA of -171.0K NOK in 2025, indicating significant operational challenges. Sales have fluctuated between 35.1M NOK in 2016 and 21.1M NOK in 2025, with an average annual decline of 3.6% over the period. Employees have varied between 86 and 48 over the years, with a 56% decline from 2016 to 2026. The only operating business has a negative operating margin of -1%, showing that operating costs exceed revenues.

Table: Sales and employee development (2016–2025)

Critical points:

• Negative EBITDA throughout the period
• Larger sales decline from 2020–2025 than in previous periods
• Greater fluctuations in employee numbers than in sales
• No economic growth in the last 5 years

There is one company registered in the pizza restaurant industry in Hamar: Pizzatia (Torggata 24). The company is an AS established in 1996 and has 43 employees. Financial data shows:

• Sales: 21.5M NOK
• Wages: 9.9M NOK
• Operating profit: -370.0K NOK
• EBITDA: -171.0K NOK
• Debt: 3.1M NOK
• Equity: 1.1M NOK
• Sales growth: -7%
• EBITDA margin: 0%

Organizational form:

Bankruptcy status: The company is not registered as bankrupt.

Important observations:

• The company has been operational since 1996 but has not achieved positive EBITDA in recent years
• High debt level (3.1M NOK) compared to equity (1.1M NOK)
• Negative operating profit of -370.0K NOK

All businesses in the pizza restaurant industry in Hamar are located in the Hamar area. No activity is registered in other districts or municipalities. Table: Distribution by location

Analysis:

• Single location in Hamar
• No spread to other districts in the municipality
• Individual businesses may have large market shares in Hamar
• Lack of diversification in geographic distribution

Bankruptcies and operational challenges:

• No registered bankruptcies in the pizza restaurant industry in Hamar during the period
• The only company (Pizzatia) is not bankrupt
• Negative EBITDA throughout the period (-171.0K NOK in 2025)
• Operating profit of -370.0K NOK in 2025

Operational indicators:

• EBITDA margin: 0% (negative)
• Average wage per employee: 230.0K NOK
• Average sales per employee: 431.7K NOK
• Average operating profit per employee: -3.4K NOK

Important observations:

• Negative operating profit throughout the period
• No bankruptcies, but high operational pressure
• Some businesses may have high dependence on individual customers or market segments

Outlook for Entrepreneurs

Critical challenges:

• Negative EBITDA throughout the period (-171.0K NOK in 2025)
• Larger sales decline from 2020–2025 than in previous periods
• Some businesses may have high dependence on individual customers or market segments
• No economic growth in the last 5 years

Opportunities:

• Single location in Hamar may provide opportunities for market share
• No bankruptcies in the industry during the period
• Potential need for a new competitive business

Recommendations:

• Establish a new business with a focus on cost reduction and efficiency
• Develop unique offerings or specializations to differentiate from existing businesses
• Establish a new business with a focus on digitalization and efficient operations
• Apply for support from the municipality or regional entrepreneur websites

Comparison with the restaurant/café industry:

• Number of companies: 93 in the restaurant/café industry vs. 1 in the pizza restaurant industry
• Sales: 202.0M NOK in the restaurant/café industry vs. 21.1M NOK in the pizza restaurant industry
• Employees: 838 in the restaurant/café industry vs. 48 in the pizza restaurant industry
• EBITDA: 202.0M NOK in the restaurant/café industry vs. -171.0K NOK in the pizza restaurant industry

Table: Peer companies in the restaurant/café industry (top 5 by EBITDA)

Important observations:

• The restaurant/café industry has 93 companies in Hamar, while the pizza restaurant industry has only 1 company
• The restaurant/café industry has higher sales (202.0M NOK) than the pizza restaurant industry (21.1M NOK)
• The restaurant/café industry has more employees (838) than the pizza restaurant industry (48)
• The restaurant/café industry has higher EBITDA (202.0M NOK) than the pizza restaurant industry (-171.0K NOK)

The pizza restaurant industry in Hamar has shown highly uneven development over the years, with a negative EBITDA and a significant sales decline in recent years. The only operating company, Pizzatia, has been operational since 1996 but has not achieved positive EBITDA in recent years. The industry has no bankruptcies but faces significant operational challenges. Compared to the restaurant/café industry in Hamar, which has 93 companies, 202.0M NOK in sales, and 838 employees, the pizza restaurant industry shows a very low market share. Entrepreneurs should consider opportunities to establish a new business with a focus on cost reduction and efficiency, as well as develop unique offerings or specializations to differentiate from existing businesses. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable locations in Hamar for this industry.

The pizza restaurant industry in Hamar has shown highly uneven development over the years, with a negative EBITDA and a significant sales decline in recent years. The only operating company, Pizzatia, has been operational since 1996 but has not achieved positive EBITDA in recent years. The industry has no bankruptcies but faces significant operational challenges. Compared to the restaurant/café industry in Hamar, which has 93 companies, 202.0M NOK in sales, and 838 employees, the pizza restaurant industry shows a very low market share. Entrepreneurs should consider opportunities to establish a new business with a focus on cost reduction and efficiency, as well as develop unique offerings or specializations to differentiate from existing businesses. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable locations in Hamar for this industry.