think of this whole situation as an inverse relationship. as social traffic through the shop increases, productivity, efficiency, profitability, and cash flow decrease.
for a small business, that is a lethal combination.
xander’s observation that don’s request is an attempt to make it easier to discipline himself and his employees from socializing even though they would like to is quite accurate. its really hard for don, lee, gary, and josh to NOT talk to people and give them their attention when they show up, because they are nice guys.
basically, don is realizing that certain things need to change in order for hybrid to continue existing, but to continue to grow. ultimately, as his friend, customers, and/or competitors, we need to realize that his request is one that makes perfect sense and is nothing but reasonable. however, if the request doesnt make sense to you, then i guess that is just too bad. HC made the best decision they could for their business… and we all have to respect that.