Loyalty Barber Shop owner dies in Scranton collision

Kathryn Oleary
·2 min read

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A well-known businessman was killed in a head-on crash in Scranton, on Wednesday.

Brian Nardella was a co-founder of a barber shop that has multiple locations throughout Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

28/22 News was able to stop by Loyalty Barber Shop in Archbald, the location where Brian regularly worked, and spoke to his colleagues to get a glimpse of Brian’s personality and the impact he had on them.

“And it was just, what do we do, we just lost our guy, so it’s hard,” explained George Polemitis, an employee at Loyalty Barber Shop.

George Polemitis has been working at Loyalty Barber Shop in Archbald for 6 years, improving his skills every year thanks to Brian Nardella, a man he looked up to.

“I went from being a hair stylist to a top barber through his teachings and just in the way he showed how to have good people skills, he was a good person, Brian was the epitome of the nice guy,” said Polemitis.

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Polemitis, along with his fellow colleagues, described Brian as sharp, quick-witted, and a man with a contagious laugh who was kind to everyone who walked through the door.

“From walking the older customers into the shop to like walking them back out to their car, you know the gentleness, everything, his personality was just radiant with positivity and good energy,” Polemitis added.

You didn’t just get a haircut with Brian, you got an experience.

“The guy was an attraction, breezy, breezy, everybody loved that guy, he was a show, you got a great haircut and you got a great session with him, and he made you feel good,” Polemitis continued.

And along with remembering him through memories, his shops will tell his story too.

“A lot of his personality is in this shop so we will be reminded of him every day, and that’s alright with me,” Polemitis said.

Brian left behind a legacy, a legacy his employees will forever honor

“You know he built a brand, and the brand is thriving on his back, so it’s a very proud feeling to be a part of Loyalty Barber Shop,” Polemitis stated.

The barber shops remained open on Thursday in Brian’s honor. Employees at the shop in Archbald say Brian would say “Don’t you dare close, the show must go on.”

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