Lily Vasquez

Lily Vasquez is co-owner, head roaster, and green coffee buyer at Coffee del Rey in Plano, Texas. After more than 20 years in government service, a 2017 visit to her brother’s ministry in Honduras sparked a passion for specialty coffee and the people behind it. Mornings spent sharing coffee grown and roasted by the ministry introduced her to the connection between coffee quality and producers’ livelihoods.
She began roasting in 2021, and her family purchased Coffee del Rey in 2022. Lily earned her Q Grader certification through the Coffee Quality Institute in 2024 and has continued her education through the Specialty Coffee Association. Approximately 85% of Coffee del Rey’s coffees are sourced through direct farm-to-roaster agreements, and she and her husband have begun visiting producer partners to deepen those relationships and better understand their work.
Guided by her faith, Lily champions producer relationships, coffee education, and opportunities for the next generation. She believes educating customers and fellow roasters can improve coffee quality, encourage fair compensation for producers, and make specialty coffee more approachable.