In an effort to help our community, Great American Restaurants donates $0.25 from the sale of each dessert to the charities below. Our bakery, Best Buns Bread Co, contributes 5% of all bread sales. Since 2002, GAR has donated $1,942,031 through this program.

• Youth For Tomorrow Fund
• Teach for America
• The Latino Student Fund
• Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC)
• S.O.M.E.
• Great American Restaurants Scholarship @ George Mason University
• Food For Others
• Share Our Strength
• Feeding America
• Manna Food Center

Share Our Strength’s “Dine Out For No Kid Hungry” is a one-week initiative that rallies consumers across the United States to dine out to end childhood hunger in America. During this week thousands of restaurants, including all GAR locations raise funds to support No Kid Hungry^®, Share Our Strength’s national campaign to end childhood hunger in America. Since 2008, with your help, we have been able to donate $232,950.

Great American Restaurants is a Blue Ribbon Sponsor of Celebrate Fairfax. At our ever-popular booth, for $5, guests can spin the wheel to win a GAR gift card in various denominations.

Carlyle and Best Buns Bread Co. are proud supporters of Share Our Strength's Annual Taste of the Nation. The event raises money to end childhood hunger in America. 

Over the years, Artie's has supported the Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts opening reception.

Great American Restaurants is an annual Gold Sponsor of the 5k Autism Walk and Community Resource Fair. Money raised by the walk will continue to fund educational scholarships for children with Autism in the Northern Virginia area.

Sweetwater Tavern has supported Living Classroom's of the National Capital Region annual event, A Night at the Yards. 

Each year, Celebrate Fairfax kicks off its anniversary with a salute to the Lord and Lady Fairfax Honorees during a dinner and awards ceremony at the Fairfax County Government Center.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors selects two people from each district who have demonstrated superior volunteer service, heroism, or other special accomplishments to receive the award.  Over the years, GAR has happily hosted this event.

GAR managers support our community by giving our time & muscle throughout the year.  We prepare and serve meals to our neighbors through organizations such as AFAC and Food for Others.  Groups of managers work in their warehouses to stock shelves & pack boxes of food for distribution.

We also work on local farms to assist in the planting & harvesting of fresh produce.  The ability to offer fresh produce to those in need provides healthy supplementation to the canned food that they already receive.