Stone Si grew up in China, where his love for singing and karaoke bars was forged. Now the young entrepreneur is putting an American twist on the popular Asian pastime with Stone Karaoke in downtown Bellevue.

“Personally, I love singing. My mom used to be a singer,” said Si, who emigrated to the United States to study at the University of Washington, graduating in 2013. “Before I came here, I did a lot of karaoke; probably every weekend.”

Rather than just having a lounge and stage — Stone Karaoke has those, too — there are 11 private rooms to accommodate party sizes ranging from 5-6 to about 20. Each room comes with its own interior style, large flatscreen television, karaoke machine and sound system, the sounds from which are contained behind walls double layered with sound board and rigid fiberglass.

“I’m trying to make karaoke a high-end concept, and I think that would be a great fit for Bellevue,” Si said, adding his goal is to open another karaoke bar, possibly in Seattle’s University District, by the end of this year.

Wall-mounted interactive screens allow customers to call up room service, Stone Karaoke offering craft cocktails, beers and an assorted wine list. Si said his original concept for the bar included sushi, but he decided to focus on karaoke and offer a small plate menu that works better with the bar’s limited kitchen space and caters to American tastes. Stone Karaoke’s private rooms also were not designed for restaurant-style dining.

Customers don’t have to sing, Si said, and can use the rooms to listen to music, watch a sports game or even host a private meeting.

“People can have karaoke in these rooms,” he said, “but they can also have their own party.”

Si said he loves the building — formerly AquaQuip — at 1020 Bellevue Way S.E., because it’s free-standing and includes a parking lot. Stone Karaoke will offer valet parking.

“Our own parking lot, that’s priceless in downtown Bellevue,” he said.

Stone Karaoke will have a soft opening next week, with hours starting at 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday-Saturday, with plans to expand hours at a later date. Si said hourly rates for private rooms are still being finalized. The official soft opening date will be updated on Stone Karaoke’s Facebook page. Find out more at stonekaraokebellevue.com.