Toronto-based contemporary furniture brand sohoConcept is marking a major milestone this month as it celebrates its 25th anniversary with the opening of its first-ever pop-up store. Located at the high-profile corner of King and Berkeley streets in Toronto’s King East Design District, the pop-up offers a limited-time showcase of the company’s latest designs while paying homage to its Toronto roots.
The pop-up officially opened its doors on June 1 and will remain open through June 14. The event not only marks 25 years since sohoConcept first launched in Toronto but also provides an opportunity for the company to connect directly with both longstanding clients and new designers.
In an interview, Namik Ozkaynak, Manager of Sales and Marketing at sohoConcept, spoke about the significance of the anniversary and how the idea for the pop-up came to life.
“It’s been 25 years and we are celebrating our anniversary,” Ozkaynak said. “We started off in Toronto back in 2000. We wanted to actually do an event for our clients.”
The choice of location was deliberate. King Street East is well-known as a furniture and design hub in Toronto, home to numerous major design brands and studios.
“King Street East has been our favourite spot,” he added. “It’s like the golden place for the furniture industry.”
The pop-up space, located at 300 King Street East, was secured through real estate group Spaces. Initially, sohoConcept had planned to rent the space for just a few days, but eventually decided to extend the event to two full weeks.
“We thought, hey, doing all this work, we might as well stay here for two weeks,” Ozkaynak explained. “We’re open on weekends and trying to be open as much as possible because it is a limited time.”
A Toronto Success Story
sohoConcept was founded in Toronto by Ozkaynak’s father, who originally worked as a real estate developer in Istanbul before moving into the world of furniture design.
“My father always had a passion for architecture, furniture and interior design,” Ozkaynak said. “He wanted to create furniture that’s simple, minimalist for the big cities that we live in.”
Even from its early years, sustainability and durability were core principles in sohoConcept’s product design. The company’s innovative use of injection foam, typically used in automobiles and airplanes, allows their furniture to maintain its form and comfort for many years.
“This is not like regular foam in a sofa,” Ozkaynak explained. “Our customers can keep using the same furniture for many years, often just replacing slipcovers. We even have clients coming back after 10 or 12 years asking for new slipcovers.”
Such longevity fits well with changing consumer demands for more sustainable, long-lasting products.
Business-to-Business Model Anchored in Design Trade
While many consumers may recognize sohoConcept’s products, the company operates primarily on a business-to-business (B2B) model in Canada, selling directly to interior designers, hospitality clients, and retail dealers.
“In Canada, we are strictly B2B,” said Ozkaynak. “We work with interior designers, hospitality, and dealers like retail stores.”
The company once supplied well-known King Street retailers like UpCountry and Visitor’s Parking, though those stores closed during the 2008 financial crisis. Today, sohoConcept’s client base stretches across both Canada and the United States.
Expansion into the U.S. Market
As demand for its products grew in the United States, sohoConcept expanded south of the border. Today, the company operates a warehouse, office, and showroom in New Jersey, alongside its Canadian operations based in Mississauga.
“We saw a lot of demand coming from the States,” Ozkaynak noted. “At one point, 60 to 70 percent of our orders were being shipped into the U.S.”
In addition to its warehouse and showroom in New Jersey, sohoConcept operates a showroom-retail hybrid space in New York City, located at 58th Street and Third Avenue—a prime address in Manhattan’s design district.
“In New York, we do sell retail in that location as well,” he said. “But in Toronto, we’ve remained focused on the trade.”
Furniture That Lasts — and Can Be Touched
The tactile experience is part of what makes sohoConcept’s pop-up such a draw for interior designers, architects, and hospitality buyers. With many of their clients working on commercial and residential projects, the ability to see, feel, and test the furniture remains essential.
The company often sends samples to commercial clients for evaluation before large orders are placed. That’s particularly true for its growing hospitality and commercial contracts.
“We just dropped off some stools yesterday at a major sports facility for an upcoming event,” Ozkaynak revealed. “They’ll test them out, see how they work in the space, and make a decision.” (Editor removed names due to confidentiality).
Connecting With the Design Community
While e-commerce is transforming many sectors, sohoConcept continues to thrive on personal relationships, particularly with the design trade.
“We love working with interior designers — they’re passionate, creative, and fun to work with,” Ozkaynak said. “When I meet clients at shows like the Interior Design Show (IDS) here in Toronto, it feels like seeing family.”
That strong client rapport has been central to sohoConcept’s success for a quarter-century. The pop-up, in many ways, is both a business showcase and a thank-you to the community that has supported the brand for 25 years.
“We just want to have a good time with our favourite people,” Ozkaynak said. “We’ll have drinks, food, good music, and great people — it’s going to be fun.”
A Growing Footprint in North America
Today, sohoConcept’s products can be found in homes, residential developments, restaurants, healthcare facilities, and public spaces across North America. The brand’s extensive collection includes dining chairs, stools, office chairs, lounge chairs, sofas, ottomans, benches, tables, coffee tables, storage pieces, and mirrors.
With its commitment to long-term durability, fashion-forward design, and flexible business model, sohoConcept has carved out a distinctive niche that appeals to both designers and end users.
“Our goal has always been to provide quality and comfort while keeping our prices reasonable and our stock levels high,” Ozkaynak said.
A Toronto Homecoming
For sohoConcept, returning to King East for its first-ever pop-up is both symbolic and practical. The King East Design District remains one of Toronto’s most vibrant hubs for home furnishings, interior design, and creative talent.
“It feels like the right place to celebrate,” Ozkaynak said. “This is where it all started.”
As the brand enters its second quarter-century, the King East pop-up offers Torontonians — and visitors from across the design industry — a rare opportunity to experience sohoConcept’s evolving collections up close.
The sohoConcept Toronto pop-up at 300 King Street East runs daily from June 1 to June 14, operating from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., including weekends.
