The Restaurant Industry in Øvre Eiker: Current Status and Outlooks

The restaurant industry in Øvre Eiker has shown both stability and variations over the past few years. In 2025, there are 18 companies registered in the industry, with a total of 86 employees. Sales have grown by 7.2% from 2023 to 2024, but fell by 25.6% in 2025. Øvre Eiker has a mix of traditional restaurants and modern concepts, with particular activity in Hokksund. The industry has both success stories and challenges, reflected in the financial data of the various companies.

Sales and employee development:

• Sales: In 2025, industry sales were NOK 23.5 million, a decline of 25.6% compared to 2024. The highest sales were recorded in 2021 at NOK 30.9 million.
• Employees: The number of employees has varied significantly, increasing from 71 in 2023 to 86 in 2026. The highest number of employees was recorded in 2025 with 91.

Annual development:

• Sales grew by 4.2% from 2016 to 2017, but fell by 17.0% from 2017 to 2018.
• Employees grew by 3.4% from 2024 to 2025, but fell by 5.5% from 2025 to 2026.

Trend analysis: The industry has shown fluctuating development, with strong growth in 2021 and a decline in 2025. This may be due to variations in customer behavior and competition in the region.

Øvre Eiker has 18 companies in the restaurant industry, distributed across different organizational forms:

• AS (Limited Company): 9 companies, with a total of 78 employees and sales of NOK 25.6 million.
• NUF (Business Association): 1 company, with 7 employees and sales of NOK 5.8 million.
• ENK (Sole Proprietorship): 1 company, with 2 employees and no sales.

Key companies:

• Vestfossen Restaurantdrift As: 27 employees, sales of NOK 9.3 million, EBITDA margin of 0%.
• Galaxy Pizza Grill As: 13 employees, sales of NOK 11.5 million, EBITDA margin of 13%.
• Khalilo As: 8 employees, sales of NOK 448,000, EBITDA margin of -26%.

New companies: Paradiso Pizza & Grill Hokksund As and Nøstetangen Cafe As have recently been established, but have no sales or employees yet.

Hokksund is the most active area in the industry, with 9 companies and 55 employees. Vestfossen and Fiskum also have activity, but with fewer companies:

• Hokksund: Sales of NOK 20.2 million, EBITDA margin of 9%.
• Vestfossen: Sales of NOK 9.3 million, EBITDA margin of 0%.
• Fiskum: Sales of NOK 1.8 million, EBITDA margin of -10%.

Geographic distribution: Hokksund dominates with both the number of companies and employees, while Vestfossen and Fiskum have less activity. This may be due to Hokksund being a larger town with more tourist attractions and population.

Bankruptcies and financial challenges:

• Sundhaugen Drift As has a negative EBITDA of NOK -192,000 and an operating margin of -10%.
• Vestfossen Restaurantdrift As has an EBITDA margin of 0%, indicating that the company is not generating profit.

New companies: Paradiso Pizza & Grill Hokksund As and Nøstetangen Cafe As have recently been established, but have no sales or employees yet. This could be a challenge for them to establish themselves in a competitive market.

Stable company: Galaxy Pizza Grill As has a high EBITDA margin of 13% and stable sales growth of 0%.

Outlooks for Founders

Opportunities:

• Øvre Eiker has shown growth in sales from 2023 to 2024, which may indicate increased demand for restaurants in the region.
• Hokksund is a prominent town for restaurants, with many tourist attractions and population. This may provide opportunities for new companies.

Challenges:

• The industry has shown a decline in sales in 2025, which may be due to increased competition and variations in customer behavior.
• Companies with low EBITDA margins, such as Vestfossen Restaurantdrift As, may be a challenge for new founders.

Recommendation: Founders should consider establishing themselves in Hokksund, where there is the most activity. It is also important to focus on differentiation and quality to compete with existing companies.

Outlooks for the Broader Industry (Restaurant/Cafe)

Comparison with the broader industry:

• The broader industry (restaurant/cafe) has 22 companies, while the restaurant industry has 18 companies.
• Sales in the broader industry have grown by 6.5% from 2023 to 2024, while the restaurant industry has grown by 7.2%.
• The number of employees in the broader industry has grown by 9.1% from 2024 to 2025, while the restaurant industry has grown by 3.4%.

Peer companies:

• Hokksund Sushi Og Thai As: Sales of NOK 16.5 million, EBITDA of NOK 838,000.
• Nana Pizza Kiosk Og Kafe Ibrahim Ramdan Omar: No sales or employees.
• Sakura Sushi Hokksund As: No sales or employees.
• Thai Thanee Food Sowichai: No sales or employees.

Conclusion: The broader industry has higher growth in sales and employees compared to the restaurant industry. This may indicate that cafes and sushi restaurants have a stronger market position in Øvre Eiker.

The restaurant industry in Øvre Eiker has shown both stability and variations over the past few years. There are opportunities for new companies, especially in Hokksund, but there are also challenges such as competition and variations in customer behavior. SmartGrunder can help founders find suitable addresses and analyze market outlooks for the restaurant industry in Øvre Eiker.