grooming
ACUT ABOVE
Barbershop chain founded by Wayne brothers opens 10th location WRITTENBYPHILIP DEVENCENTIS PHOTOGRAPHED BY TARIQ ZEHAWI
Some called it agamble , but as far as Jeffrey Agnello was concerned , opening abarbershop was asure bet . All that the teenager needed was alittle boost from his family and asmall lump of venture capital . And confidence , he said — confidence that he could make it work .
“ Everyone thought Iwas crazy for opening up because they thought I didn ’ t know what Iwas doing ,” says Agnello , 33 , agraduate ofWayne Valley High School .
“ But Ihad alot of faith inmyself ,” he added . “ I was very motivated .”
In November 2009 , Agnello opened the barbershop with three chairs on East Main Street in Little Falls . Itwas established not long after he discovered his life ’ s work , dazzling his friends with his personal hair clipper in high school .
The original shop is still there , across from PassaicValley Regional High School . It eventually expanded to take over an empty storefront next door , and the business is now an award-winning enterprise with locations in five counties , including in Mahwah , Montclair , Morristown , Sparta and at Preakness Shopping Center in Wayne . The 10th shop opened this month on Chestnut Street in Ridgewood .
City Image Barber Shop is the largest chain of privately owned barbershops in the state . Agnello runs it through an equal partnership with his elder brother , Joseph Agnello , and his friend , Izak
Orero , who was among the first barbers he hired .
In arecent interview at their office on Valley Road , the businessmen joked how they each have the same lofty title — according to their desk plates , that is . And in amore earnest tone , the partners explains the secrets behind their success .
“ We ’ re always the first todothings ,” says JosephAgnello , 38 , agraduate of DePaul Catholic High School .“ We ’ re not scared to take risks .”
One of their most calculated risks to pay off was adecision to offer free medical insurance to their 50-plus employees .
City Image is the only barbershop chain in the U . S . toprovide that benefit , the partners said . It all started because of COVID . In March 2020 , barbershops inthe state were ordered by Gov . Phil Murphy to close indefinitely due to the virus outbreak . Barbers even left the industry to seek work that offered health care .
That is when the partners figured out how to provide it for their staff .
Joseph Agnello said he consulted a cousin who owns abusiness and that he was referred to an insurer based in Scottsdale , Arizona .
“ I thought that we could probably swing it for free ,” he says .
City Image spends more than $ 100,000 per year in medical insurance
14 SPRING 2024 WAYNE MAGAZINE