Sophomore Julia Molinari has won millions of followers on social media with a video series showcasing her cooking skills, including unusual dishes such as fig and prosciutto pizza (shown.) She attributes her success to family influences and her passion for the creative process. Photo: Courtesy of
J. Molinari.
Family recipes, specialty pies and 2.3 million followers
With videos that feature deft in-the-air pizza dough twists and charming patter with family members, all at her parents’ New Jersey restaurant and home, Rutgers University-New Brunswick sophomore Julia Molinari has emerged this year as a social media sensation with several video series, including Let’s Make a Pizza that has earned her 2.3 million followers as “jumo” on TikTok and 1.3 million as “juliahmolinari” on Instagram. But behind the visual spectacle of her hand-made creations and the allure of pizza and pasta making is what she believes drives her success: her passion for the creative process that goes into making content. New Jersey-born-and-raised, Molinari, a student at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, described the path to her success and pondered future directions.
How did you get started?
I’ve always loved and found success when I get the opportunity to express myself in a creative way. Dancing has always been a big part of my life since I was 2, and competitively since I was 9. I do hip hop, tap, contemporary and jazz. Competitive dance also exposed me to many different genres of music growing up. My parents, Laura and Ralph Molinari, own and operate an Italian American restaurant in Neptune City, N.J. If I wasn’t in dance class or school, I would be at the restaurant observing, learning and helping in the kitchen and the front of the house. A lot goes into running a small family restaurant. This is where I learned to make pizza and many dishes. My mom always had me involved in the cooking process, whether it was at home or in our restaurant. I especially love to make pizza. I also love to sketch and paint. Sometimes I would be at the restaurant from open to close and would spend hours sketching and painting images of the fresh flowers on the table or landscape scenes I imagined.
@iamjumo
One day during the winter break, when I visited my family at the restaurant, I decided to do a TikTok with my dad and my uncle, who has a big personality, and it was so much fun. Creating video content about food at the restaurant and at home grew into a regular thing. I am so grateful that more and more people are having as much fun watching the videos as I have had making them.
How is life going at Rutgers?
It’s going great. Currently, I am in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. I’ve always enjoyed learning about nature and the environment, however, I’m open to where my interests will take me and would like to take advantage of all that Rutgers has to offer. This summer I took a class on culinary nutrition and a class on pop culture and the media. I enjoyed both.
I’m a member of the Rutgers Performing Dance Club. It’s so much fun and I’ve met so many talented dancers. Participating has given me the opportunity to keep dancing in college, which makes me happy.
Julia Molinari learned to cook from her parents while spending hours as a child at the family’s Italian American restaurant in New Jersey. Photo: Courtesy of J. Molinari.
What are your most popular videos?
On Instagram, my most popular reel, with 15.4 million views, is the one where I made a Capriccioso pizza. My most popular video on Tik Tok, with 11.1 million views, is the one where I made two pizzas at the same time. In another video with 8.2 million views, I made a Grandma Pizza.
Is there a formula for your productions?
It really is me doing all the planning, filming, performing and editing. Usually, the reels are under two minutes long and set to music. If they’re less than a minute, there’s not enough time for storytelling and it feels rushed. I love different generations and styles of music and will choose a sound that fits the mood and style of the food or pizza I am preparing. There is also an aspect of performance and conveying emotion that I learned from being a dancer. It’s very important to be yourself, be original and be authentic.
As a creative person, what aspect of making the videos is most enjoyable for you?
I love the whole creative process of making content, from planning and creating recipes to filming, picking music and editing. I especially love making pizza and having friends and family join in. I also enjoy making an occasional “Get ready with me” as I love fashion, makeup and hair. Sometimes I’ll just make a dance video to a popular sound. I am so lucky and grateful to be able to incorporate so many things that I love to do when creating content.
What is the secret of your success?
I enjoy creating content. When you love what you do, it usually leads to success. I’m so lucky to have this platform.
What does the future hold?
I’d like to expand on what I do now and branch out into longform content. One of my goals is to collaborate with other people and restaurants in the U.S. and other countries. The opportunity to explore and learn about other cultures, cuisine and pizza making would be a dream come true.
Another goal is to put my ideas and family recipes in a cookbook.
I’m also a big believer in fostering and adopting animals from shelters. One day, I hope to be able to contribute financially to these causes.
With respect to my college career, I would like to expand my interests to match what I am learning through my content creating. I would like to pursue a degree in marketing or communications. Who would have thought that making a pizza would quickly lead to so many changes and opportunities? I’m so grateful!
This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.
