By: Mary Genson | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published June 2, 2026
BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham Barbers celebrated 60 years of business in April. For 30 of those years, current owner Anna Canisz has been one of the barbers cutting the hair of anyone who walks in and needs a trim or a new look.
The barbershop was opened in 1966 by Jim Farhat, who passed the business down to his son, Lawrence Farhat, in 1992. Lawrence Farhat began cutting hair in 1982, but he grew up at the shop.
“I had a great opportunity to work with my father for many years. I mean, at 8 years old, I never knew I was going to end up being there, making it a career. But years later, I ended up there,” Lawrence Farhat said.
Even though Lawrence retired five years ago when Canisz took over ownership, he still comes back to cut hair on Saturdays.
“I can’t leave the customers,” Lawrence Farhat said. “After a period of time, they’re no longer customers. They become family.”
Throughout the years, Lawrence Farhat and Canisz have seen decades of hairstyles come in and out of those doors. He said he has seen the styles change back and forth to short and long hair, but now it is a combination. Lawrence Farhat said that one time he did a checkered flag on a kid’s head.
“Anything goes now,” Lawrence Farhat said. “At this point, you’ve seen it all. And when somebody asks for something, you have the skills, because you did it before.”
Canisz said the barbershop feels like home — to her and the customers. She said she’s heard the compliment that it feels “like going home.”
Canisz has been cutting hair since she was 19 years old. She is originally from Budapest, Hungary, and has been a Birmingham resident since 1981.
When it comes to working at the barbershop, she said, “I enjoy every minute of it.”
Canisz said the barbershop is very family-oriented, with customers ranging in age from babies to over 100 years old. She said they have some fourth-generation family members as customers.
For a baby’s first haircut, Canisz said they usually give the family a first haircut certificate and an envelope with some of the hair. She said there are some customers who still have their certificates and hair from when they were a baby and had their hair cut at the barbershop.
Scott Schumaker got his first haircut when he was a year old at Birmingham Barbers. He still has the certificate that reads, “This is to certify that little Scott Schumaker received his first haircut at Birmingham Barbers on October 13, 1966.”
When asked about what led him to become a lifetime customer, he said, “Just super nice barbers and Anna’s great. And obviously, just the history from going there since ’66. I’m a creature of habit, so I can’t change it now.”
Canisz said the barbershop also values sponsoring local charities. It has sponsored the Birmingham Little League for five years, and after the season, kids get a free haircut certificate.