The father of four reinvented himself as an entrepreneur. I was already competing in Europe three months out of the year and the French had a very good pole vault tradition.” In 1996, with Susan graduating and Tarpenning nearing retirement from sport at age 36, the couple decided “to spend a year in Monaco” before returning stateside. In 1990, Tarpenning moved to Paris so his wife, Susan, could study fashion at Parsons School of Design. “My father was an Athletics coach at a small college in Oregon so I was exposed to some of the best competitions and top athletes in the world from a very early age.” At the top of his game, the four-time national champion could vault 5.89 meters (19 feet 3 ⁄4 inches), about the height of an adult giraffe. in pole vault at two Summer Olympic Games (Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992, where he placed fourth and which prompted The New York Times to write the piece, “Who Fell Just Short-Try Again: There's Only One Option for an Olympic Vaulter”).
The Portland native represented Team U.S.A.
At the Nike Store, even though change rooms are closed, there were long customer queues and lengthy waiting times because of the limit of one person per 10 square meters, which included staff.” “In addition to controlling customers wearing masks, the biggest challenge was restricting the number of people inside.
Mc namechanger full#
Rossano Ferretti Hairspa has been nearly fully booked because of the obvious needs of a haircut after two months.”Īt Starbucks, Tarpenning admits, “Even with full service starting in June, we are not yet back to normal as many people are still working from home and there is an absence of tourists in Monaco.”Īt all locations, staff has had to implement health measures imposed by the government, including mandatory hand sanitizing stations at entry points and installing plexiglass to protect cashiers. “Initially we had strong sales at Nike, which I attribute to our heavy discounts in an effort to sell off the winter collection. “I think people were ready to get back out but obviously with caution. “Slowly but surely, we are getting more traffic in the stores,” observes Tarpenning. Monaco’s multi-phased “Stop-and- Go” deconfinement plan allowed all commercial activity to reopen from May 4, although restaurants had to hold off until June 2. “We had to get all the provisions in place to make sure staff was protected and still getting paid.”Īnd even though the government provided the business community with tremendous support and relief on rent leaseholds, “How do you pay your suppliers without cash flow?” he asks. The entrepreneur, who holds an MBA from Boston University, says that dealing with the big issues, like logistics and communicating with banks, was all consuming. “We went from running active businesses-three Starbucks, the Nike Store and the Rossano Ferretti Hairspa-to having to shut down the next day, which meant putting nearly all of our 70 employees on temporary layoff,” Tarpenning describes. An obedient population entered house confinement with stockpiles of flour, ready pasta and rare wines while the economy settled down for a long spring nap following the closure of all non- essential businesses two days prior.įor Kory Tarpenning and his business partner Jean-François “Jeff” Calmes, this hit the trifecta- specialty coffee, sports apparel, and beauty service sectors. In Monaco, March 17, 2020, will be remembered as the day of The Great Hibernation. Olympic pole vaulter is now redefining luxury franchising in Monaco with mega brands Starbucks, Nike and Rossano Ferretti. Kory Tarpenning has spent his entire life setting the bar higher, literally.
Article first published in Forbes Monaco June/July 2020 issue.