Sometimes the best business ideas aren’t really about making a living. Sometimes they’re about having something to do, enjoying the work, visiting with folks and maybe giving the community a little something it could use. 

That’s the idea behind The Rusty Razor Barber Shop, the newest business to open its doors in Superior at 113 River Street.

For Kelly and Suzie Garcia, opening a barbershop in their hometown is something of a homecoming, and a chance to do something they both enjoy without having to worry about punching a time clock five or six days a week. 

“We don’t have to work. We just want to,” Suzie said. “We’re just semi-retired now.”

The Garcias already know a thing or two about running a barbershop. Before returning to Superior, the couple operated a shop in Polson for 10 years, moving locations three times during that decade. 

Their barbering story began together at barber school in Boise, Idaho, where Kelly and Suzie spent a year learning the trade. And apparently, even barber school had a little friendly competition. The two discovered that they were both pretty good with a straight razor and developed a friendly rivalry over who could give the best shave. Whenever a customer came through the door wanting a shave, both of them were liable to make a grab for him. 

“We were competitors,” Kelly said with a grin.

Suzie had a bit of a head start. Originally from Anaconda, she had already worked as a cosmetologist before attending barber school. But she quickly learned that barbering and cosmetology are two different animals.

Kelly, meanwhile, was learning a completely new trade. For him, barbering was part of a search for what might come next in life. 

“I was trying to find something we could do as we got older,” he said. 

Kelly grew up in Superior and went to school just across the street from the building where the new barbershop now sits. After school, he spent 15 years working at the Diamond Match mill in Superior. When the mill closed, he moved into construction, where he spent another 10 to 12 years. 

“It was just beating me up,” he said. “So, I needed something to do for later in life.” 

When Kelly decided barber school was the answer, Suzie didn’t take long to make up her mind. 

“When he decided to go to barber school, I said, ‘Well, I’m going to go with you,’” she said.

After graduating, the couple initially considered opening a shop in Missoula. Then they discovered Polson was looking for a steady barber. Their decision came together remarkably fast. 

“We found a place to live and a shop, everything in one day, so we knew it was meant to be,” Suzie said. 

And it turned out to be a good move. The Garcias built a steady clientele in Polson, with business running year-round and summers getting particularly busy. Their regular customers kept coming back, giving the couple a strong and dependable business for the next 10 years.

But while Polson was home for a decade, Mineral County kept calling them back. The Garcias are active in outdoor recreation, and they frequently spent their time off in County 54. 

“We always knew that we would eventually move back home to Superior,” Suzie said. 

That eventually came on Sept. 9, 2024, when the Garcias returned to Superior.

Now the Garcias are putting their barbering equipment accumulated over the years back to work. In fact, they didn’t have to spend much money getting the place ready. 

“The only thing we bought was the paint for the front of the building, and it was on sale,” Suzie said. Sweat equity was their biggest investment. “A lot of labor getting it ready, but it’s all good now,” Kelly said.

And the Garcias aren’t trying to reinvent the barbering business. 

“We don’t do perms or coloring or anything of that caliber,” Kelly explained. “We’re a barbershop for those who want a no-nonsense haircut and beard lineups in a clean environment.” 

“This is a no-drama shop,” Suzie added with a laugh. 

For now, The Rusty Razor Barber Shop will be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. That schedule may change as they figure out what local customers need as they may add another day or perhaps a Saturday, but for now they’re letting the dust settle and seeing what people want. Suzie hasn’t even officially started cutting hair at the new shop yet as she is recovering from a hiking accident up Fish Creek earlier this summer, but she’ll be joining Kelly once she’s back on her feet.

The two say their part-time schedule suits them just fine. They have reached the point in life where they don’t need to work, but they still enjoy it. And if they can provide a service for their hometown at the same time, all the better. After spending 10 years building a business in Polson and eventually finding their way back home, the Garcias seem pretty happy to be sitting in their own little corner of Superior again. That may be the best kind of business plan there is.

The Rusty Razor Barbor Shop is located at 113 River Street in Superior and is currently open Tuesdays from 10 to 4, and Wednesdays from 1 to 7. For more information or to make an appointment, call 406-274-2202.