Plot
Since the events of the previous film, Calvin Palmer Jr. has finally settled comfortably into his role as the owner of the Chicago South Side barbershop founded by his late grandfather. The shop's latest threat comes from overzealous developer Quentin Leroux, who opens a rival barbershop across the street called Nappy Cutz.
While Calvin attempts to figure out how to deal with the coming threat of direct competition from Quentin's flashy establishment, his barbers are having their own problems. Isaac, the lone white barber, is now the star of the shop, and begins to feel that he deserves star treatment, feeling neglected by Calvin and the other barbers. Terri is finding success in managing her anger but she has trouble dealing with the growing mutual attraction between Ricky (Michael Ealy) and herself. Dinka is still interested in Terri but is distraught when he finds out that she loves Ricky instead. Jimmy has quit the shop to work for local alderman Lalowe Brown; his replacement, Calvin's cousin Kenard, is fresh out of barber school and horribly inept at cutting hair. Meanwhile, the barbershop and other businesses like it are under threat from gentrification, and Calvin is offered a substantial bribe from both Leroux and Alderman Brown in exchange for his support of the city council's gentrification legislation.
A subplot involves Eddie recalling his time as a young man in the late 1960s, when he first started working at the shop with Calvin's father, including the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Also, Eddie remembers his long-lost love, Loretta (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon). Eddie and Calvin begin bonding. The film also introduces Calvin's good friend and ex-lover, Gina Norris, who works at the beauty shop next door. The girls at the beauty shop have similar conversations and experiences as the barbers and Gina has a bitter rivalry with Eddie.
After attempting to change his own barbershop's style and decor to match those of his rival, Calvin decides to refuse the bribe money and speak out against the neighborhood's gentrification at the local city council meeting. Though Calvin gives a passionate speech about the legislation helping the region to earn money at the cost of its soul and the community, the council still unanimously votes to approve the legislation and move forward with the project. Despite a mutual attraction, Terri and Ricky agree to remain friends, but not before sharing one last kiss. Dinka still loses out on Terri, but finds love with a stylist at Gina's beauty shop. Though the gentrification project is approved, the community remains loyal to Calvin's barbershop.
