By 1995, GAR had pared down to four restaurants, the Fritzbe's in Annandale, Artie's, Carlyle and Mike's. The rebranding of the Fairfax Fritzbe's as Artie's, as well as the opening of Carlyle and Mike's were early signs of the company's shifting focus, moving away from the fun of Fritzbe's to position itself in a category it defined as 'upper casual'.Īs part of this shift, Picco's was sold in 1993, and the Fritzbe's in Reston and Rockville were sold to their managers. The group continued their move away from the Fritzbe's brand with the opening of Carlyle Grand Cafe at the Village at Shirlington shopping center in Arlington in 1986 and Mike's 'American' Grill in Springfield in 1987.

In 1985 the Fritzbe's in Fairfax was rebranded as Artie's. In its first foray outside Northern Virginia, a fourth Fritzbe's opened in Rockville, Maryland in 1981. A third Fritzbe's opened in Reston's Hunters Woods Village Center in 1980. In 1978, they opened a second Fritzbe's, Fantastic Fritzbe's Good Time Emporium, in the Fairfax Circle Shopping Center in Fairfax City.

Norton and Farley had originally owned and operated Picco's Passion, a pizza parlor in the City of Fairfax in 1974, and while the pair concentrated on cooking pizza, they brought in Ranney to cook the books. Great American Restaurants started when the partnership of Randy Norton, Jim Farley and Mike Ranney opened Fantastic Fritzbe's Flying Food Factory in Annandale in 1976. Great American Restaurants often abbreviated GAR, is a company that owns and operates restaurants in Maryland and Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County.

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