Domenick Federico had already accepted that, after him, there would be no more. Still trim at 62 from countless hours of biking, the veteran barber had a few good years left with his old-fashioned shop, its two chairs, its flag-colored pole and the chipped gold letters on the window reading, "Hair Cuts by Domenick." But Domenick's, which opened almost 30 years ago at 20th and Spruce streets, had become an anachronism in yuppified Rittenhouse Square, an old man preaching patience and community to a generation of iPod-wearers. The proprietor had a loyal clientele, but he knew that no young barber would want to take the helm when he eventually hung up his shears.

Then, one day in September 2004, this skinny kid walks in. He says he's 25, though he looks like he could be exaggerating by a decade. His name is Michael Burke, and he wants to work for Domenick. Michael's been cutting hair since he was 12. Kids in Fishtown used to get money from their parents for a haircut at the neighborhood hack, then pay Michael half price and pool the savings on a case of beer. He's been to school, worked at a salon. He's good enough, he says.

It doesn't matter how good you are, Domenick tells the kid, because I work alone. So the kid leaves. But the next day, he comes back. And the day after that, too. He just sits there and tells Domenick stories — about his family, his father, his neighborhood — until Domenick agrees to give him a shot. And they immediately jell.

All of a sudden, Domenick is serving his old clients while Michael brings in the young professionals and students who have moved in around the shop. Meanwhile, Michael's best friend, Erich Hartman, is growing more and more miserable, toiling at a salon. Michael and Erich met during their senior year of high school, when Michael moved to Cape May. They discovered a shared interest in barbering and spoke of one day cutting hair side by side. But Michael doesn't want to leave Domenick's, and the shop has only two chairs.

So, one night in March, Michael and Erich concoct a crazy plan: They're going to propose to redesign Domenick's. They'll add a third chair, put in some new lights and tear down the Sheetrock to give the joint a new look without changing its essential character, like taking a little off the top. Michael and Erich will pay for the remodeling. Domenick's name will stay on the window, and when he retires, he'll turn the place over to the guys.

They take the pitch to Domenick, and as the older barber listens, he thinks about more than money. He thinks about how cutting hair is an art, and how barbering, at its best, is a social service. He says yes.

The redesign takes place in July. Scuffed beige floor tiles make way for sleek gray ones; Sheetrock comes off the wall, revealing a soft red brick; ancient counters are uprooted and replaced with red mahogany chests. The place seems more modern: still a barbershop, but caught up with the neighborhood.

Now, Domenick's is back open for business. On a recent Thursday afternoon, the founder and his newfound heirs sit around discussing what it means to be not a haircutter, but a barber. ("A barber gets to be a personal touch," Domenick says. "It's more than a haircut.") Domenick has clients who travel from Ambler and Valley Forge; he even has Philly expats who stop in for a cut when visiting from Chicago and Vegas.

Erich offers an example of how this relationship is built: One night, a client came by as he was closing up shop.

"Sorry," Erich told him. "Come back tomorrow."

"Dude," the guy said, "I'm on my way to ask my girlfriend to marry me."

Erich worked late.

It was annoying, sure, but now, he and the customer share that memory. He expects to cut the guy's hair before his wedding.

Michael knows this street runs both ways. A few weeks ago, he was complaining about allergies while cutting a doctor's hair, and got a prescription on the spot. Still, one wonders whether someone with his entrepreneurial spirit will really be satisfied to sit in a little shop, day in, day out, for 30 years, the way Domenick envisions.

Michael is confident he's making the right choice. "The reason I got into this," he explains, "is that I've known a few barbers who were over 60, and they've been the youngest 60-year-olds I've ever met."

Domenick was not present to receive the compliment. He cut out of work a few minutes beforehand to go biking.