Industry · municipality
The Restaurant Industry in Bykle: Current Status and Future Opportunities
A Detailed Analysis of Companies, Economics, and Development Trends
Executive Summary
Overview of the Restaurant Industry in Bykle
Bykle has an active restaurant industry with 5 registered companies in 2026. In recent years, the industry has shown variation in both sales and number of employees, with a significant increase in 2023 (28.6 million NOK in sales) followed by a mild decline in 2024. The number of employees has had an up-and-down trend, with a maximum of 60 employees in 2022. The industry is dominated by AS companies, with two companies together having 43 employees and an operating income of 34.4 million NOK. There are no registered bankruptcies in the industry, but variation in financial health between companies.
Economic Trends
Sales and Employee Development (2016–2026):
| Year | Sales (NOK) | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 24.1M | 57 |
| 2017 | 23.6M | 53 |
| 2018 | 23.7M | 34 |
| 2019 | 23.0M | 32 |
| 2020 | 20.4M | 46 |
| 2021 | 22.5M | 53 |
| 2022 | 23.9M | 60 |
| 2023 | 28.6M | 60 |
| 2024 | 27.6M | 59 |
Key Figures:
- Sales decreased by 2.2% from 2016 to 2017, but increased strongly by 19.7% from 2022 to 2023.
- The number of employees decreased sharply by 35.8% from 2017 to 2018, but stabilized with an increase of 13.2% from 2021 to 2022.
- In 2024, sales were 27.6 million NOK, which is 3.6% lower than in 2023.



Companies in the Industry
Registered Companies in Bykle (2026):
- Hovden Alpin Servering As Avd Furumo (Setesdalsvegen 4292, Hovden I Setesdal)
- Legal Form: AS
- Employees: 24
- Sales: 28.2 million NOK
- EBITDA: 1.3 million NOK
- Financial Status: EBITDA margin of 4%, but negative equity (-294,000 NOK).
- Fjols Til Fjells Hovden I Setesdal As (Jernvegen 9, Hovden I Setesdal)
- Legal Form: AS
- Employees: 19
- Sales: 4.7 million NOK
- EBITDA: 187,000 NOK
- Financial Status: 81% increase in sales from 2020 to 2021, but low EBITDA margin (3%).
- Hovden Alpin Servering As Avd Lodge (Alpin lodge 40, Hovden I Setesdal)
- Legal Form: AS
- Employees: 0
- Sales: 0 NOK
- Financial Status: New company (founded 2025), no operational activity.
- Hovden Alpin Servering As Avd Offpiste Og Skikroa (Skisentervegen 155, Hovden I Setesdal)
- Legal Form: AS
- Employees: 0
- Sales: 0 NOK
- Financial Status: New company (founded 2025), no operational activity.
- Hovden Restaurantdrift As (Skisentervegen 2, Hovden I Setesdal)
- Legal Form: AS
- Employees: 0
- Sales: 0 NOK
- Financial Status: New company (founded 2022), no operational activity.
Legal Form:
- AS is the dominant form with 2 companies and 43 employees. These companies have an operating revenue of 34.4 million NOK and an EBITDA of 1.4 million NOK.
Geographic Distribution of the Business
Hovden I Setesdal:
- Number of companies: 5
- Number of employees: 43
- Operating revenue: 34.4 million NOK
- Sales: 32.9 million NOK
- Wages: 10.9 million NOK
- Operating profit: 511,000 NOK
- EBITDA: 1.4 million NOK
- Gross profit: 24.7 million NOK
- Total equity: -36,000 NOK
- Total debt: 10.8 million NOK
- Sales growth: 2%
- Operating profit per employee: 686,300 NOK
- EBITDA margin: 4%
- EBITDA per employee: 28,900 NOK
- Gross margin: 74%
- Operating margin: 1%
Conclusion: Hovden I Setesdal is the only location in Bykle with activity in the restaurant industry. There is a concentration of activity here, with a combination of established companies and newly established businesses.

Operational Dynamics and Bankruptcy Statistics
Bankruptcy Statistics:
- There are no registered bankruptcies in the restaurant industry in Bykle in 2026.
- Fjols Til Fjells Hovden I Setesdal As has a high sales growth of 81% from 2020 to 2021, but a low EBITDA margin of 3%.
- Hovden Alpin Servering As Avd Furumo has a negative sales growth of -4% from 2020 to 2021, but a high EBITDA margin of 4%.
- Hovden Alpin Servering As Avd Lodge and Hovden Alpin Servering As Avd Offpiste Og Skikroa have no operational activity (sales and employees = 0) in 2026.
- Hovden Restaurantdrift As has no operational activity (sales and employees = 0) in 2026.
Conclusion: The industry has a mix of established companies with stable operations and newly established companies without operational activity. There are no bankruptcies, but variation in financial health between companies.
Future Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
Trend Analysis:
- The restaurant industry in Bykle has shown a strong increase in sales from 2022 to 2023 (19.7%), but a mild decline in 2024 (-3.6%).
- The number of employees has had an up-and-down trend, with a maximum of 60 employees in 2022.
- There are no bankruptcies in the industry, but variation in financial health between companies.
Opportunities and Challenges:
- Opportunities:
- Higher sales in 2023 (28.6 million NOK) show potential for growth in the industry.
- Hovden I Setesdal is the only location in Bykle with activity in the restaurant industry, which can provide opportunities for local market share.
- Challenges:
- Newly established companies (such as Hovden Alpin Servering As Avd Lodge and Hovden Restaurantdrift As) have no operational activity in 2026.
- Fjols Til Fjells Hovden I Setesdal As has a low EBITDA margin (3%) despite high sales growth.
Recommendation:
- Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in Hovden I Setesdal, where there is a concentration of activity in the restaurant industry.
- It is important to analyze the financial health and operational activity of existing companies before establishing oneself in Bykle.
Development in Broader Category (Restaurant / Café)
Comparison with Broader Category:
- Number of companies: Broader category (restaurant / café) has 6 companies, while the restaurant industry has 5 companies.
- Sales: Broader category had 28.6 million NOK in sales in 2023, while the restaurant industry had 28.6 million NOK in sales in 2023.
- Number of employees: Broader category had 60 employees in 2022, while the restaurant industry had 60 employees in 2022.
Peer companies in broader category:
- Bakken Cafe Og Kulturscene As (Skisentervegen 2, 4755 Hovden I Setesdal)
- Organization number: 834958392
- Sales: 0 NOK
- Employees: 0
- EBITDA: 0 NOK
- Industry: café
Conclusion:
- Broader category (restaurant / café) has more companies than the restaurant industry, but similar sales and number of employees.
- Peer companies in the broader category have lower financial activity (Bakken Cafe has 0 NOK in sales and EBITDA).



Other companies in restaurant / kafé (not in restaurant)
| Company | Industry | Address | Sales | Employees | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakken Cafe Og Kulturscene As | cafe | Skisentervegen 2, 4755 Hovden I Setesdal | NOK 0 | 0 | NOK 0 |
Conclusion
The restaurant industry in Bykle has shown variation in sales and number of employees in recent years, with a strong increase in 2023 followed by a mild decline in 2024. There are no bankruptcies in the industry, but variation in financial health between companies. Hovden I Setesdal is the only location in Bykle with activity in the restaurant industry, which can provide opportunities for local market share. Entrepreneurs should consider establishing themselves in Hovden I Setesdal, where there is a concentration of activity in the restaurant industry. SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs find suitable addresses in Bykle for the restaurant industry, based on local trends and potential opportunities.