“Food is common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard
If you’re from Northern VA you’ve probably heard of the Great American Restaurants (GAR) family or at least one of their restaurants. They currently have 13 restaurants – 12 being in Northern VA and the last in Gaithersburg, MD. Sweetwater Tavern and Coastal Flats are probably their most well-known with each having three locations.
GAR is not only known for the food but for their great service and for being a great company to work for. They’ve even been on Washington Post’s Top Workplaces list for the past five years. In 2018 they came in at Number 2 for large companies.
Randy and Patsy Norton are the patriarchs of these fantastic restaurants and the family that leads them, and after 50 years together and almost just as long in the hospitality industry, they’ve finally agreed (with much persuasion from their children) to open two new restaurants with their names.