Not with the Grit (which opened in another location but moved into the building Stipe owned a long time ago). Maybe you're thinking of a place called Guaranteed, which was on Broad St across from UGA, which Stipe DID have some financial investment in (and which wasn't all that great and closed a long time ago)

Eh. A lot of people here in town (I live in Athens) don't really seem to know what's what when it comes to the music scene other than having a vague sense that yes, they've heard there is one, but that happens late at night after they're in bed and all that

Stipe doesn't have anything to do with The Grit other than he owns the building and is its landlord… nothing to do with the food or the business.