Sushi Restaurants in Stavanger: Current Status and Outlook

Sushi restaurants in Stavanger represent a growing sector with 11 registered companies and over 200 employees. The industry has shown stable economic development in recent years, with an average EBITDA margin of 13% and a high gross profit of 83%. Stavanger is a key city for sushi restaurants, with companies such as Sumo Hall Toll As and Sabrura Herbarium As as leading players. Outlooks for new entrants are positive, but competition is strong, and operational efficiencies are critical.

Economic Development

• Sales: Increase from NOK 52.5M in 2016 to NOK 102.3M in 2025 (+95%)
• Employees: Highest in 2022 (254 employees), with a decline to 224 employees in 2026
• EBITDA: Average 13% margin, with the highest value for Sumo Hall Toll As (22%)
• Gross Profit: 83% average, with variations between companies

Key Figures

• Sales Growth: +3.1% in 2024–2025
• Employee Growth: -13.4% in 2024–2025
• EBITDA Growth: Highest in 2020 (+33.8%)

Development Trends

• Greatest growth in 2020–2021 (+23.2% in employees, +11.3% in sales)
• Decline in 2022–2023 (-7.5% in employees, -4.9% in sales)
• Stabilization in 2024–2025 (+1.5% in sales, -1.7% in employees)

Registered Companies

Organizational Forms

• AS: 10 companies (91% of the industry)
• AS (renewal): 1 company (9% of the industry)

Special Observations

• Sabrura Herbarium As and Nduja Restaurant As have no sales or employees
• Sabrura Madla As has negative EBITDA (-31%) and high debt (NOK 2.2M)

Distribution of Activity

Development by Location

• Stavanger: Higher sales (NOK 93.6M vs NOK 12.2M in Hafrsfjord), higher EBITDA margin (13% vs 8%)
• Hafrsfjord: Lower gross profit (69% vs 83% in Stavanger), but higher sales per employee (NOK 260K vs NOK 667K in Stavanger)

Bankruptcy Safety

• No registered bankruptcies in the sushi restaurant industry in Stavanger (2016–2026)
• Negative EBITDA: Sabrura Madla As (NOK -363K) and Sabrura Herbarium As (NOK 0)
• High Debt: Sumo Hall Toll As (NOK 26.9M) and Sabrura Madla As (NOK 2.2M)
• Low Number of Employees: Sabrura Herbarium As (0 employees) and Nduja Restaurant As (0 employees)

Operational Challenges

• Large variation in EBITDA: From -31% (Sabrura Madla As) to 22% (Sumo Hall Toll As)
• High operating profit per employee: Sumo Hall Toll As (NOK 813K) vs Sabrura Madla As (NOK -363K)

Outlook for Entrepreneurs

• Stable market: 11 companies and 224 employees in 2026, with a growth of +12% in employees from 2025
• High EBITDA margin: Average 13%, higher than many peer companies in the restaurant sector
• Competitiveness: Stavanger has 11 companies, while all of Rogaland has 359 companies in the restaurant/café sector
• Operational challenges: High debt (average NOK 16.9M) and variation in operating profit
• SmartGrunder can help: We can analyze addresses in Stavanger for sushi restaurant players with a focus on naturally development-safe locations

Comparison with Broader Sector

• Number of companies: 359 in the restaurant/café sector vs 11 in sushi restaurants
• Sales: NOK 115.6M in sushi restaurants vs NOK 11.6M in the restaurant/café sector
• Employees: 224 in sushi restaurants vs 3548 in the restaurant/café sector
• EBITDA: 13% in sushi restaurants vs an average of 10% in the restaurant/café sector

Peer Companies with High EBITDA

Challenges

• Lower sales per company: Sushi restaurants (NOK 9.3M) vs restaurant/café (NOK 32.8M)
• Higher debt: Sushi restaurants (average NOK 16.9M) vs restaurant/café (average NOK 10.2M)

Sushi restaurants in Stavanger represent a competitive sector with a high EBITDA margin (13%) and stable sales growth (+95% from 2016 to 2025). With 11 companies and 224 employees in 2026, it is possible to identify naturally development-safe locations for new entrants. Outlooks are positive, but operational efficiency and debt management are critical. SmartGrunder can help analyze addresses in Stavanger for sushi restaurant players with a focus on development-safe locations.