Robin Godwin: Glen Burnie’s ‘Champs Pizza’ Taking Over Social Pub in Federal Hill

Sonny Rawal, owner of Champs Pizza in Glen Burnie, is taking over the former Social Pub at 25 E. Cross St. in Federal Hill. The new concept, called ‘Last Call By Champs,’ will be more of a bar-themed spin-off of the popular Glen Burnie restaurant.

Champs is famous its 36-inch pizzas with jumbo slices. Just the dough ball on this pizza weighs about eight pounds and Rawal said these pies typically feed five to six people. Individuals can win $1000 if they can take down a 36-inch, five-topping pizza by themselves or 10 of Champs’ super spicy wings in eight minutes.

The 36-inch Chesapeake Pizza with alfredo sauce, shrimp, crab, broccoli, cheddar, mozzarella, and Old Bay was featured on Travel Channel and Food Network’s Ginormous Food.

The pizzas will be a little bit different at Last Call as Rawal is inheriting the wood-fired pizza oven from Social Pub and it is not big enough for the 36-inch pies that used a gas-powered deck oven in Glen Burnie. Last Call will sell 12-inch, 14-inch, and 16-inch wood-fired pizzas.

The menu at Last Call will also not be quite as big as Champs due to a smaller kitchen. It will feature many different pizzas with traditional and novelty-style toppings, loaded french fries, garlic knots, 20 flavors of wings, salads, sandwiches, burgers, cheesesteaks, crab cakes, entrees including steaks, and more “finger food” type items.

Rawal said wings are the number one seller at Champs.

Last Call will initially partner with delivery apps, but may look to launch its own delivery in the future.

Last Call will have 16 beers on tap which will be a mix of local and popular national brews. The bar will also serve some of Champs’ drinks such as beer towers, dry ice drinks, and 64oz margaritas. When things return to normal, Last Call will have DJs on the weekends and stay open until 2am.

Rawal said when this opportunity came along to open in Federal Hill he thought it was a good place to grow his businesses in a growing area. He is also attracted to the younger demographic and nightlife in Federal Hill.

Rawal has been renovating Last Call by giving it a new bar top, new floors, and a new kitchen, as well as installing an 85-inch television. Last Call will play local sports on a total of 13 televisions and will also air Lakers games, a favorite team of Rawal.

The upstairs at Last Call will be available for private parties, and Rawal said he could eventually add an e-hookah lounge.

Last Call hopes to open in March or April. Rawal said COVID-19 has made the process of getting open in Federal Hill more difficult, but he also noted that business is booming in Glen Burnie and the bar is having its “best year ever.”

This will be the second restaurant for Rawal and his wife Ashley. He started working at Champs when he was 14 years old and eventually purchased it in 2009.