my dad's about to get pushed out of his own barbershop and idk how to feel

okay so my grandpa learned barbering in Japan, came back and opened a shop there. built a real following.

my dad took it over but kept it tiny on purpose. no corporate scale, no franchise BS. just him, one chair, old school family-style operation.

and honestly? it worked. early on there was zero competition so the shop was doing fine. the thing is he runs it like a personal relationship business, not a service business. 1-on-1 with every customer, knows their whole deal, remembers everything. my dad literally grew up in that chair watching grandpa work and just... absorbed it.

problem is that means he can't go fast. doesn't scale. long-term regulars who've been coming for YEARS, they're loyal as hell. new customers though? they come in, wait, realize the pace is what it is, and bounce.

regular market customers from the neighborhood, local elders, people who've known the shop since grandpa's day. they keep coming. they request my dad specifically. he's basically their guy.

but then. THEN.

some of these customers come in and my dad greets them, chats them up, does his whole thing. and then they just. quietly. take the seat next to him instead. the one my dad's not standing at.

(they're sitting down in my dad's chair. in his shop. choosing someone else. while he watches.)

so I went to my dad and said hey. this is messed up. this is YOUR spot.

he just went

"neatly and cleanly, cut."

like bro what does that even MEAN. he literally quoted a barbering principle at me instead of having feelings about it. I'm more upset than he is and it's not even my shop???