Staten Island’s retail and dining scene is getting a meaningful boost from an unexpected direction this spring: the Staten Island Mall is mid-expansion, bringing in more than ten new tenants in 2026, including new food options that change the calculus for residents who do their shopping and eating on the North Shore. Here’s what’s arriving, what’s already open, and how to make the most of the changes.

Paris Baguette Is Now at the Mall

Among the most notable new food arrivals at the Staten Island Mall is Paris Baguette, the Korean-French bakery chain that has quietly become one of New York City’s most consistent cafe options over the past several years. The format is straightforward and well-executed: fresh-baked pastries, sandwiches, specialty coffees, and breads prepared throughout the day, in a cafe setup that’s equally good for a quick morning stop, a lunch break, or an afternoon coffee.

Paris Baguette has locations across the five boroughs, but the Staten Island Mall placement is significant for North Shore residents because it brings a quality cafe anchor inside a retail destination that hasn’t always had strong food options. For shoppers who previously had to make do with limited food-court choices or leave the mall for a proper coffee, this is a genuine upgrade to the overall experience.

The bakery format also works well as a standalone destination — you don’t need to be doing a full shopping trip to justify a stop at Paris Baguette. The mall address is 2655 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, with parking available throughout the complex. The S44 and S61 buses serve the mall for those coming without a car, though the mall is primarily a car-destination for most Staten Islanders.

What the 2026 Mall Expansion Means for Residents

The Staten Island Mall is in the middle of its most significant tenant refresh in recent memory, with more than ten new storefronts arriving in 2026. The expansion reflects a broader national trend among suburban malls that have responded to the retail challenges of the past decade by curating a more experience-focused tenant mix — food, fitness, services, and experiential retail alongside traditional shopping.

For Staten Islanders, the mall has always occupied a different role than it does in suburban markets elsewhere. Given the borough’s car-dependent geography, the mall functions as something closer to a town center than a pure retail destination — a place residents combine shopping, food, services, and errands into a single trip. When the tenant mix improves, the value of that trip improves proportionally.

The Hylan Boulevard Dining Scene Keeps Building

Separate from the mall expansion, the borough’s Hylan Boulevard corridor — particularly the stretch running through New Dorp and toward Midland Beach — has been solidifying as a genuine dining destination. Patrizia’s Taverna at 2636 Hylan Blvd has been drawing consistent positive reviews since opening this spring with Roman-style pizza and Italian-Greek dishes. Piccola Pasta Shop, from the team behind Piccolino Ristorante, has brought fresh handmade pasta and curated Italian imports to the borough. And Michelin Guide-featured Ayat, the Palestinian kitchen on Hylan near Midland Beach, continues to draw diners from across the city.

For an earlier rundown on what opened on Hylan Boulevard this spring, see our Staten Island Spring Openings piece.

Why Now Is a Good Time to Revisit the Borough’s Food Scene

Staten Island has long had a reputation — among New Yorkers from other boroughs — as the least exciting food destination in the city. That reputation has been outdated for years, but the spring 2026 wave of activity is making it harder to ignore: a Michelin-recognized Palestinian kitchen, a polished new Italian taverna, a specialty pasta shop, a French-Korean bakery anchor at the mall, and ongoing development that will continue bringing new options to the borough throughout the year.

For borough residents, this is simply the ongoing story of a neighborhood food scene catching up with demand. For visitors from other boroughs who haven’t been to Staten Island for a meal recently, it’s worth reconsidering. The ferry is free, the Hylan Boulevard corridor is a reasonable SIR ride from the St. George Terminal, and the combination of Patrizia’s Taverna, Ayat, and Paris Baguette for dessert is a legitimate cross-borough food itinerary.

What You Need to Know

• Paris Baguette is now open at Staten Island Mall (2655 Richmond Avenue) — Korean-French bakery with pastries, sandwiches, and specialty coffees
• The Staten Island Mall is mid-expansion with more than 10 new tenants arriving in 2026 — additional announcements expected throughout the year
• Patrizia’s Taverna (2636 Hylan Blvd) is open for dine-in with Roman-style pizza and Italian-Greek dishes. Closed Tuesdays. Reservations via OpenTable.
• Piccola Pasta Shop from the Piccolino team is open for fresh handmade pasta and Italian imports
• Ayat on Hylan Blvd near Midland Beach remains Michelin Guide-featured and worth the trip from any borough
• The Staten Island Ferry remains free — the Hylan corridor is accessible from St. George Terminal via the SIR