CHINATOWN — A sleek new karaoke lounge has opened in the Richland Center plaza near Chinatown Square.
"Everybody is looking for a place to relax on the weekend," PopKTV manager Linda Sui said.
An upfront area at PopKTV, located on the second floor at 2002 S. Wentworth Ave., has a handful of small cocktail tables, a bar and black leather furniture, all facing a small stage.
But that's sort of an opening act for the main event.
The lounge features 11 private rooms where party-goers can sing their hearts out.
For $38 an hour, patrons can rent the spacious rooms — complete with LED disco-lighting, funky lamps, flat-screen TVs, elevated stages and leather couches — and make use of the high-tech touch screens to select karaoke songs. Each room can fit up to 15 people.
"We're the biggest in Chinatown," Sui said.
Sui said song selections will be available in Chinese, English and Spanish.
Bartenders will keep the party fueled with beer, wine and cocktails, plus a menu full of traditional Chinese barbecue favorites like lamb and beef and an assortment of noodle soups.
Although the business is technically already open, PopKTV is still working out some kinks — the food and drink menus aren't printed yet, the bar was only stocked with vodka and it's not completely staffed.
Still, Sui said it took a long eight months to renovate the former office space and "everybody here is very excited to open."
A grand opening bash is scheduled for April 26.
PopKTV is open from 2 p.m-2 a.m. daily. To learn more about the lounge or reserve a private room, call 312-225-6208.