Sushi Restaurant Industry in Sunnfjord: A Comprehensive Analysis

Sunnfjord municipality hosts a small but growing sushi restaurant industry, with two registered companies as of 2025. The sector has shown resilience in recent years, with employee numbers increasing from 17 in 2023 to 34 in 2026. Notable companies include Bambus Førde As, which reported NOK 12.6M in operating income and NOK 2.2M in EBITDA in 2025. The industry is concentrated in Førde, with no signs of bankruptcy among local sushi restaurants. While the sector is niche, it benefits from the broader restaurant/kafé industry's stability in the region.

Sales Development (2016–2025):

• 2016: NOK 0
• 2017: NOK 10.1M
• 2022: NOK 12.6M (peak)
• 2025: NOK 12.1M

Annual Growth:

• 2017→2018: -2.3%
• 2021→2022: +6.9%
• 2024→2025: +2.7%

Employees (2016–2026):

• 2016: 14
• 2023: 17
• 2026: 34

Annual Growth:

• 2022→2023: +54.5%
• 2025→2026: +6.2%

The industry has experienced volatility but shows strong recovery post-2022, with employee numbers nearly doubling in three years.

Registered Companies (2025):

1. Bento Yume Sushi Førde As

• Address: Naustdalsvegen 1A, Førde
• Incorporation Year: 2023
• Employees: 20
• Organizational Form: AS
• Financials: No reported revenues or operating results

1. Bambus Førde As

• Address: Storehagen 9, Førde
• Incorporation Year: 2016
• Employees: 15
• Organizational Form: AS
• Financials: NOK 12.6M operating income, NOK 2.2M EBITDA (2025)

Organizational Form:

• AS: 2 companies, 35 employees total

Activity in the Municipality:

• Førde: 2 companies, 35 employees, NOK 12.6M operating income, NOK 2.2M EBITDA

Key Figures per District:

• Operating income per employee: NOK 864.2K
• EBITDA margin: 17%
• Gross margin: 73%
• Operating margin: 16%

Sushi restaurants are strongly concentrated in Førde, with no activity registered in other districts of Sunnfjord.

Bankruptcies:

• No bankruptcies registered for sushi restaurants in Sunnfjord (2016–2025)

Operating Results:

• Bambus Førde As reported NOK 2.1M operating result in 2025
• Bento Yume Sushi Førde As has no reported operating results

Development:

• Employees have increased by 150% from 2022 to 2026
• Sales have been stable at NOK 12M–12.6M since 2021

Outlook for Founders

Sushi restaurants in Sunnfjord show positive development with increasing employee numbers and stable sales. Key figures suggest that the sector can be attractive for new entrants, especially with focus on:

• Growing customer base in Førde
• Strong EBITDA margin (17%) at existing companies
• No bankruptcy risk

Recommendation:

• Consider establishing in Førde, where the market is most developed
• Focus on quality and differentiation to compete with existing companies
• SmartGrunder can help find optimal location and assess operating economics

Restaurant/kafé sector in Sunnfjord (2025):

• 40 companies total
• 257 employees
• NOK 57.1M sales

Contrast with sushi restaurants:

• Sushi sector has higher EBITDA margin (17% vs. average in restaurant industry)
• Less sales volatility (stable at NOK 12M–12.6M vs. restaurant industry with NOK 57.1M in 2025)

Peer companies in the restaurant industry:

• Rast Restaurantdrift As (NOK 14.8M sales, NOK 2.8M EBITDA)
• Waro As (NOK 15.5M sales, NOK 680K EBITDA)
• Venezia Pizza Restaurant As (NOK 5.6M sales, NOK 343K EBITDA)

Sushi restaurants have fewer bankruptcies and higher margins compared to the broader restaurant sector.

Sunnfjord has a small-scale but stabilized sushi restaurant trade with two actors in Førde. With increasing employee numbers and stable sales figures, the sector is attractive for new founders. The high EBITDA margin (17%) and lack of bankruptcy risk underscore the potential. At the same time, the broader restaurant industry shows that sushi can be a more stable segment compared to traditional restaurants. SmartGrunder can help identify optimal locations and assess competitiveness in this market area.