By Elizabeth LeBlanc

The staff and students at Berklee College of Music have been dreaming about a coffee shop performance venue for years, but weren’t able to make their dream a reality until this past winter.

Last night’s kick-off event at Cafe 939 was the fruition of months of planning.

“Berklee kids have been looking for a place to play and this will give them, and other musicians as well, the opportunity,” said Lisa Sansouci, a cafe employee and Berklee student.

Since December 2007, Jackie Indrisano, the executive manager for Cafe 939 and former manager at afterHOURS, has worked with Berklee students and faculty to create an intimate space where students can get together to play and listen to musicians, she said.

The idea for Cafe 939 came before there was space available, but the team of organizers finally secured 939 Boylston St. last summer. The location is adjacent to the Cactus Club Cafe. The cafe and venue, which does not serve alcohol, will be open to all ages and, like many other nightclubs, will stay open past midnight.

“This is the kind of place I could bring my 12-year-old daughter to,” said Roger Brown, president of Berklee, in a welcoming address at the beginning of the show.

The performers at last night’s kick-off included Julie Easterlin, electronic pop singer/songwriter; Annie Lynch and the Beekeepers, a country and bluegrass group; and The Fix, a jazz band, among other performers playing a mix of music ranging from R’B to folk.

The catered event, which drew about 150 people, served paninis, mini cupcakes and other hors d’oeuvres from the cafe.

There are not any local contenders to rival Cafe 939, with the exception of Club Passim in Cambridge, the only other exclusively all-ages night spot.

The cafe will not only serve as a vehicle for performing students at Berklee, but will also provide opportunities to the school’s business-minded students. The entire venue is student-run, with the support of the more seasoned Indrisano. The students work in booking talent, managing the lights and sound, serving food and providing door security.

“Cafe 939 is a better place to prepare for the big stage,” said John Blackwell, a 1995 Berklee graduate, reminiscing about when his sole performing option was the Berklee cafeteria. “I’m glad to see the school is expanding and growing.”

The Cafe 939 talent buyer, Kenny Czadzeck, said they are looking into having a different style of music for each night of the week. The performance side of the venue will be open Wednesday through Saturday. Special events will be held any night of the week for more popular artists should they happen to be in the area and want to perform.

The venue is also open daily for lunch and Tuesday and Thursday lunches offer “The New Brew,” which features new artists and a lunch-time food special.

“Our mission [is] to join the illustrious list of music-based clubs and venues,” Indrisano said. “We have a lot of built-in talent. We want to marry student performers and local, national and regional artists.”

The venue will be open to all performing artists, but there is criteria that must be met before artists can be on stage. Czadzeck said the selection process is a matter of balancing artists who have a proven history and others who want to get established.

“One thing we will look at is how did [the performers] do at other places,” Czadzeck said. “Did they attract a crowd?”

Czadzeck said first time performers will have to send a video recording of a performance for the talent buyers to determine if they are good enough.

Eventually, Cafe 939 will hold open mic nights Wednesdays for first time performers and other genres of performing artists, like for poetry readings or spoken word.

The cost of these nightly events is to be determined and student discounts may be provided.

Blackwell, a guest of the event and a drummer of 34 years, said he would “absolutely” come back to perform. Blackwell has performed with artists like Patti LaBelle and Prince since graduating.

Indrisano said she expects more renowned artists will make appearances at the newly opened venue portion of Cafe 939.

“That’s just Berklee,” she said.