Print The San Diego restaurant industry is still struggling to recover from the pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped many chefs from donating their time, expertise and money to help others in the industry. Here’s a look at some of these local projects. A fresh-baked pizza from Big Willie’s Pizza Pies for a Cause. (Courtesy photo) Pizzas for a cause After retiring from his job as a restaurant produce salesman and hotel chef, Willie DePascale of Chula Vista bought a backyard pizza oven and spent much of the past few years refining his recipes for Neapolitan and Sicilian pies and feeding them to friends. When the pandemic forced many of his former clients to close their doors, DePascale started Big Willie’s Pizza Pies for a Cause.