Jessica Muyskens
Jessica Muyskens began her career in the restaurant industry as a server, quickly discovering opportunities for growth that led her into management. With nearly eight years of experience, she now serves as a co-senior manager at The Melting Pot, overseeing day-to-day operations including payroll, invoicing, scheduling, and bar management. Her expertise includes creating pars for beer, wine, and liquor, managing recipes, and reducing waste while ensuring smooth service in a high-volume, reservation-based restaurant.
Throughout her career, Jessica has demonstrated strong leadership and training skills, having mentored four managers and numerous staff members, helping them grow while contributing to the overall success of the restaurant. She takes pride in guiding her team through challenging periods, including navigating staffing shortages and completing a mini remodel during the COVID-19 pandemic, all while maintaining operational excellence.
For Jessica, the most rewarding part of her work is creating memorable experiences for guests and fostering a positive team environment. She finds joy in seeing celebrations come to life, knowing her staff is supported and empowered to deliver exceptional service. Beyond her professional life, Jessica also brings strong organizational skills from her experience in office management, payroll processing, and mechanical engineering studies at Drexel University, blending operational efficiency with people-focused leadership.
• ServSafe Certified
• ServSafe Proctor
• Level 2: Excel Yellow Belt
• Level 1: Excel White Belt
• Wilmington University
• Drexel University
• Delaware Restaurant Association
What do you attribute your success to?
I think the key to my success has been just being able to have the determination to get through the obstacles and trying to find different ways to think outside the box to find a solution to what might be a really weird or out-of-the-box problem, because there's always something new that comes up every day. It's about being able to have the thought process overall to kind of figure out other ways to get that situation solved, as well as having other managers that are able to support you in those decisions as well.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that the biggest thing that I had to learn was that you have to say what you're gonna say, and don't let people make you quiet. You have to make sure that your voice is heard.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are teamwork, reliability, and creating a positive environment for both my staff and guests, while in my personal life I treasure spending quality time with my two dogs and enjoying hobbies like canning.