The Pit Stop is launching a fundraiser to add a café and reading room to the popular music destination. The moniker “destination” is not meant to confuse or be vague. It’s just that the Pit Stop is hard to categorize.

Birthed earlier this spring as an alternative to the bar scene, or playing music in one’s own basement or garage, the Pit Stop is first and foremost a performing space. Music is the main ingredient with open-mic shows every Monday night, jazz on Sundays and a host of other events staged throughout the week. There is an admission charge to the shows, but patrons can also become members of the club, which does not serve alcohol but welcomes thirsty fans to bring their own. Bring your own doesn’t have to mean alcohol, either. Because the Pit Stop is not a bar, children of all ages are always welcome. It’s never too early to expose the little ones to good music.

In a way, the Pit Stop is like that cool kid’s house down the block, the place where you knew all the best parties took place but could never get a line on how to get invited. But the Pit Stop doesn’t exclude anyone, so now, finally, you get to be a part of the scene.

The current fund-raising goal is $15,000 to build phase one of the café.

“The ability to get a cup of coffee and converse with your neighbor while enjoying some great local music is the direction we believe will make the Pit Stop a sustainable enterprise.” said Pit Stop crew member Donald Muckerheide.

The Pit Stop crew is using Conception Fund, a locally-focused crowd-funding platform co-founded by Oak Bluffs resident Arthur Hardy-Doubleday to help small businesses.

The fundraising campaign can be found online at conceptionfund.com/pitstopworkshop.

The Pit Stop itself can be found on Dukes County avenue in Oak Bluffs. Check it out.