1974	Picco’s opens across the street from the old courthouse in the City of Fairfax. The Washington Post proclaimed our pizza the best in the D.C. area.
1976	Fantastic Fritzbe’s Flying Food Factory opens in “downtown” Annandale, VA.
1977	Patsy Norton continues making all of Fritzbe’s desserts in her kitchen at home.
1978	Fantastic Fritzbe’s Goodtime Emporium opens on the site that is now Artie’s.
1980	GAR opens Fritzbe’s in Reston.
1981	GAR hires our first professionally trained Chef, Chris Osborn (now VP of Kitchen Operations).
1981	GAR opens Fritzbe’s in Rockville, MD.
1981	Howard Stern waits tables for a day at Fritzbe’s as part of a local radio station promotion.
1985	One of many Fritzbe’s 10K races is attended by over 5,000. We fed everyone brunch in under 45 minutes immediately following the race.
1985	GAR converts Fantastic Fritzbe’s Goodtime Emporium into Artie’s.
1986	Carlyle Grand Cafe opens on New Year’s Eve in Shirlington, VA.
1987	Mike’s “American” Grill, our first free-standing restaurant, opens in Springfield, VA.
Early 1990s	GAR declares its niche to be high-volume, upper-casual. Picco’s and Fritzbe’s in Reston and Rockville are sold to former GAR general managers.
1993	Carlyle becomes the largest smoke-free restaurant in Metropolitan Washington, D.C.
1993	Carlyle is selected one of the top three restaurants in the entire D.C. area by Washingtonian magazine - the first of many times.
1995	Bill Jackson (then Executive Chef at Carlyle) is named Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
1995	Best Buns Bread Co. opens next to Carlyle.
1996	GAR converts Fritzbe’s in Annandale to Silverado.
1996	Sweetwater Tavern in Centreville, our first microbrewery, opens and is named “Best New Restaurant” in Washingtonian magazine.
1997	Sweetwater Tavern in Merrifield opens.
2001	Sweetwater Tavern in Sterling opens with our first outside bar.
2003	Great American Restaurants is named one of the “Best Places to Work” by Washingtonian magazine.
2004	Coastal Flats in Fairfax Corner opens.
2005	Coastal Flats in Tysons Corner Center opens.
2005	Great American Restaurants is named one of the “Best Places to Work” by Washingtonian magazine, again.
2006	Sweetwater Tavern is named “Favorite Restaurant” by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
2006	GAR wins the 2006 Education Foundation Award: “Future of the Industry” from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
2007	Sweetwater Centreville adds a covered outside bar and dining area.

2008	Jackson's Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge opens in the expansion phase of Reston Town Center.

2009	Jackson's is named “Best New Restaurant” in Washingtonian magazine.

2009	Artie's is included in Tom Sietsema's Annual Dining Guide

2010	Ozzie's Corner Italian opens in Fairfax Corner