Inside Shopify’s brand new Toronto R&D office [Office Space]

MobileSyrup's Shopify Tour

Canadian e-commerce platform Shopify was founded in 2004, based off of code written for an online snowboarding site by founders Tobias Lutke, Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake. It is now a public company with over 200 million in revenue for 2015 and offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Waterloo and San Francisco. MobileSyrup got the chance to tour Shopify's newest office, an R&D focused location at 420 Wellington Street in Toronto and snapped a few pictures along the way.

Entrance Pathway

Above the staircase and leading to the main lobby is a long path with railings, which directs the flow of traffic, surrounded by slanted lights.

Lobby and Reception Desk

Directly off of the entrance path lies the Shopify reception and lobby, with plenty of room for jackets in closets on the right (an essential for any Canadian office).

One-time Fur Vault, Current Meeting Room

Shopify says the building, which is believed to be over 100 years old, used to be a fabric factory. Small vaults remain on each floor with brick walls and metal doors, where valuable furs were once stored. Now, those vaults are used as small meeting/working rooms.

Vault Close-up

Shopify has over 300 employees between its two Toronto offices, which are located only a few blocks apart.

Snack and Drinks Wall

Shopify provides several in-office benefits to employees, including catered breakfast and lunch along with a snack wall that includes items from local Shopify merchants. Check out our 360-degree picture below for a better look at this area.

Rocket Ship Neon Sign

Other employee perks include wellness classes, like yoga, meditation and exercise bootcamps.

Ping Pong Table

On the bottom floor of the office, next to the cafeteria, is a ping pong area, foosball table and video game room.

Main Stairs

A large, shallow staircase leads down to the bottom floor of 420 Wellington. It serves as an area where employees can sit and relax and impromptu bleacher seating for presentations. Check out our 360-degree photo below for a better look at this area.

Under-the-stairs Work Nook

By the side of the large staircase is a cozy nook for working and relaxing, replete with cushions.

Shopify Branded Napkin Dispenser

Shopify's branding goes deep, right down to its napkin dispensers.

Employee 'Book Bar'

Shopify offers a "book bar" to its employees, including multiple copies of Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, Ben Horowitz's The Hard Thing About Hard Things and Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of The Brain.

Upstairs Work Space

Upstairs, Shopify employees work in open format office spaces surrounded by mural art. In the center are glassed off meeting rooms.

Employee-painted Graffiti Wall

Shopify says the graffiti art on its walls was done by its own employees. This one shows various stylized nicknames for Toronto.

Giant iPhone

This massive iPhone emulator stands in one part of the R&D office.

Gentle Reminder Mural

This mural displays a classic startup sentiment: "Get shit done."

Video Game Break Room

Shopify's video game room includes comfy couches, a big screen, console and emoji cushions.

Foosball and Ping Pong Tables

In their off-time, Shopify employees can practice honing their ping pong and foosball skills.

Upstairs Workspace

Shopify's R&D office features exposed beams, hardwood floors and painted brick.

Cafeteria

The cafeteria is staffed throughout the day, with a menu board active at the top of the stairs that employees can peruse when they enter.

Shopify Neon Logo

The interior design for Shopify's new office was completed partly by Shopify employees and partly by Toronto-based design studio MSDS. Keep tuned to MobileSyrup for more tech office tours in the future!