With dreams of sharing his passion for business with students, spending more time with his family, owning successful coffee shops and living in a friendly town, Wade Radina, a K-State alumnus, moved back to Manhattan.
    Radina, instructor of business, moved permanently to Manhattan in 2001, after deciding his operation management consulting job in Denver was not fulfilling his personal and professional desires.
    He received his undergraduate degree in political science from K-State and earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado. Radina teaches strategic management and operations management at K-State and owns Radina’s Coffeehouse & Roastery, as well as Bluestem Bistro.
    Radina said after having his first child with his wife in 1999, he discovered he couldn’t be the father he wanted to be while working as a consultant in Denver.
    He said he wanted to live in a smaller town, and one of his friends knew it was one of Radina’s personal goals to come back and teach at his alma mater. He told Radina about an opening in the College of Business, so he applied for the position and was hired.
    Radina said each time he went back to Manhattan during the moving process, he would get coffee and later tell his wife he didn’t think the town’s coffee shops were high quality. His wife told him to buy one of the shops, and he instantly agreed to.
    Radina met his wife at a coffee shop in Manhattan while they were both undergraduates, and they have continued to enjoy coffee together throughout their marriage. It seemed natural to take his wife’s advice.
    “It became one of my quips to go back to Manhattan to teach and own a coffee shop,” Radina said. “I went to one of the coffee shops and told its owner I was willing to buy it.
    “I had a strong desire to get control of my life and spend my time with my family, and thought Manhattan could do that for me. I didn’t realize how badly I would want to come back here after I got out — the quality of life and the people are great.”
    Radina said he bought Espresso Royale Caffe once he moved back and changed its name to “Radina’s Coffeehouse & Roastery.” The shop has been there since 1987 and is one of the oldest coffeehouses in Manhattan. Since he’s owned the coffee shop, its business sales have doubled. Radina said he thinks his store provides him with a deep connection to Manhattan.
    “The atmosphere of Radina’s feels like a community,” he said. “Some customers have been going there for 20 years, and it’s really neat to see my customers’ connections. We also have the best coffee this side of the Mississippi River and a great working environment.
    “Aside from working there, I still drink coffee every day. We roast our own beans, and only one out of 100 coffeehouses roast their own beans.”
    Owning Radina’s isn’t his first experience with the coffee industry. Before his consultant job, Radina was the vice president of operations for a national coffee company. In addition to owning Radina’s Coffeehouse, Radina also co-owns Bluestem Bistro, another popular Manhattan coffee shop.
    “Wade is very passionate about what he’s doing, whether it’s roasting coffee or working with students,” said Kevin Pierce, Radina’s co-owning partner at Bluestem Bistro. “He holds himself to high standards, and he’s very generous. He’s always the first to help anyone.”
    Though Radina is passionate about his coffee shops, he said he gets the most satisfaction from teaching.
    “I get to teach my profession, and it’s more hands on,” Radina said. “I have a real curiosity about business, and teaching and working with bright minds is interesting and rewarding.
    “I have a passion for business, especially how communities are affected by business and truly believe that the business is there only to change the world and make it better. It has a long-term impact on everyone.”
    Radina said one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is the connections he develops with his students.
    “The relationship between me and my students is very much a partnership,” he said. “I try to approach class in a collaborative way, and it’s a privilege to be able to get in the classroom and talk with students. I really connect to a couple students each semester, which is really fun as time goes by. Because of teaching, I have connections all over the place.”
    Some students said they liked Radina’s conversational teaching style.
    “He’s a really relaxed and nonchalant teacher,” said Zach Schelp, senior in accounting. “He has a really relaxed relationship with his students.”
    Radina said he has been thinking about working toward his doctorate degree in business, but since K-State doesn’t offer the degree for business, he is hesitant to move to another university.
    Radina is also involved with the People’s Grocery Cooperative and has been involved with the Aggieville Business Association.
    Though he has numerous involvements with business, Radina said the most important thing to him is his family. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and two daughters, who are ages 9 and 6.
    “My priorities as a husband and father are my biggest joys,” he said. “Watching my girls grow up and helping them be good people is what’s most important to me.”