Laura in the Kitchen (Laura Vitale)

Early Life and Background

Laura Vitale was born on November 7, 1986, in Naples, Italy, where she grew up surrounded by the rich culinary traditions of southern Italian cuisine.^[1] At the age of 12, she made a life-changing move to the United States to join her father, leaving behind her mother, brother, grandparents, and extended family in Naples.^[2]^[3] Her father had emigrated from Italy in the mid-1990s and settled in New Jersey, where he opened Italian pizzerias in Deptford and Camden.^[2]

The transition to American life proved challenging initially, as Vitale spoke no English when she arrived.^[2] Living in Philadelphia with her father and his English-speaking wife, she was homeschooled, which enabled her to learn the language.^[2] In a determined effort to overcome her shyness and perfect her English, she took her stepmother's advice to binge-watch the news, particularly Nancy Grace's CNN show, believing that newscasters would help her learn proper enunciation.^[2]

Restaurant Experience and Meeting Her Husband

After finishing high school, Vitale joined the family business, working as a chef at her father's Italian bistro, La Riviera, in Camden, New Jersey.^[2]^[4] The restaurant, which occupied the ground floor of a residential apartment building, became the setting for a romantic story when she met Joe Vitale, an electrical engineer who lived upstairs and became a regular customer.^[2]^[5]

Despite her father's initial protectiveness, Joe had strategically befriended him as part of his plan to ask Laura out.^[2] Laura eventually confessed her feelings in the most fitting way possible for a chef—by making Joe's favorite veggie pizza in the shape of a heart and hand-delivering it to his door before immediately running away.^[2] The gesture worked, and Joe asked her out on their first date.^[2] The couple married on October 23, 2009, and later welcomed their daughter, Mia Valentina, on January 31, 2017.^[3]

YouTube Career Launch

When her father's restaurant closed in 2008, Vitale found herself at a crossroads.^[5] Rather than seeking employment at another restaurant, she took her husband's advice to channel her culinary passion into something new.^[4] Joe renovated their basement to create a studio kitchen where Laura could film cooking videos, though she admitted being "very, very against" the idea initially.^[2]

In January 2010, Vitale posted her debut "Laura in the Kitchen" video on YouTube, filmed by her husband with a $49 camera.^[2]^[6] The first episode was only nine minutes long, but it marked the beginning of what would become a digital cooking empire.^[2] However, success didn't come immediately—according to reports, the kitchen sat unused for nearly a year until, after a few glasses of wine, she finally committed to the project.^[2]

Rise to YouTube Stardom

Vitale's authentic personality and approachable cooking style quickly resonated with viewers. Her trademark greeting "Hi guys!" delivered in her distinctive accent, combined with her genuine enthusiasm for sharing family recipes, helped build a devoted community.^[4] By 2020, her YouTube channel had amassed over 3.7 million subscribers, with her videos accumulating more than 680 million total views.^[2]^[7]

Her success caught the attention of YouTube's co-founder Chad Hurley, who selected her as YouTube's "NextChef."^[3] The channel features over 1,050 recipe episodes, focusing primarily on Italian and Italian-American cuisine that emphasizes accessibility and family-style cooking.^[3]^[8]

Television Career

Vitale's YouTube success eventually led to opportunities in traditional television. In 2012, Entertainment Weekly featured her on its "Must List," with a note suggesting "Hey Food Network: I think we found your next star."^[2] The Food Network indeed took notice, leading to her own show called "Simply Laura" on the Cooking Channel, which is owned by Food Network.^[2]

The show premiered on September 27, 2014, and ran for two seasons through 2016, consisting of eight episodes per season.^[9]^[5] The television format allowed her to expand on her YouTube content while maintaining the family-centric approach and Italian culinary focus that made her popular online.^[9]

Social Media Presence and Influence

Beyond YouTube, Vitale maintains a strong presence across multiple social media platforms. Her Twitter account has over 127,000 followers, where she describes herself as a "Celebrity Cook / TV Show host" and references her 3.8 million YouTube subscribers.^[10] In 2015, marketing giant Ogilvy & Mather recognized her as one of YouTube's top 30 influencers based on engagement and community building rather than just subscriber count.^[11]

Her influence extends beyond just recipe sharing; she has created what she describes as "an amazing community of people with similar interests and passions."^[2] This community aspect has been central to her brand, emphasizing the kitchen as the heart of the home and cooking as a way to connect with others.^[4]

Publishing and Business Ventures

Vitale has successfully expanded her brand into publishing, releasing her first cookbook in October 2015 featuring Italian-American recipes designed to be accessible for home cooks.^[12] In February 2024, she announced the launch of her second book, "At My Italian Table," which she described as a guide to "living your best Italian life one bite at a time."^[13] The book launch included a promotional tour with meet-and-greet events for fans.^[13]

Financial Success and Analytics

Vitale's digital success has translated into significant financial returns. Analytics platform estimates place her YouTube channel's net worth between $255,000 and $1.53 million, with monthly estimated earnings typically ranging from $900 to $1,500.^[7] These figures reflect the monetization potential of her consistent content creation and engaged audience base.^[7]

Cooking Philosophy and Content Style

Throughout her career, Vitale has maintained a focus on approachable, family-style cooking that emphasizes connection over perfection. Her experience working in her father's restaurant, with its open kitchen concept, taught her that people prefer feeling "free and relaxed in the kitchen" rather than being intimidated by overly complex techniques.^[4] This philosophy permeates her content, where she treats viewers as friends having a conversation rather than students in a formal cooking class.^[4]

Since becoming a mother in 2017, Vitale has adapted her content to reflect the realities of cooking for busy families. She has embraced time-saving techniques and frequently discusses her reliance on freezer-friendly meals and quick preparation methods that allow her to balance content creation with parenting responsibilities.^[2]