Is third time the charm for Dunkin’ in this S.I. shopping plaza?

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Third time’s the charm.

After a long stretch of sitting empty, Dunkin’ appears to be coming back to Evergreen Plaza.

Recently, signage went up in the windows of the former Dunkin’ in the Great Kills strip mall indicating that the chain would make a return.

The Dunkin’ franchise has a long history in Evergreen Plaza, having been open for years before closing, returning, and then closing again last summer.

The Advance/SILive.com has reached out to the Dunkin’ corporation for comment.

Evergreen Plaza

When the previous iteration of Dunkin’ closed its doors last summer, it was just one of many businesses in the Greaves Avenue shopping center to do so.

Once hosting around 18 stores, the Great Kills shopping center, which is set back on a substantial plot of land off of Amboy Road, saw a quick succession of vacancies in the just a few months.

SuperFresh – formerly Pathmark, then Key Food – closed last July, followed by the exit of Bliss restaurant, a dry cleaner, V & J Soriano’s pork store and Thriftway Card & Gift.

Shop owners told the Advance that the near-simultaneous exits were not planned. They were the result of expiring leases and diminished foot traffic after the closure of the plaza’s supermarket anchor.

Mid-Island Expansion

The impending return of the Dunkin’ location in Evergreen Plaza comes on the heels of franchise expansion in the Mid-Island.

Around a year ago, a Paris Baguette opened in the Hylan Boulevard strip mall at Tysens Lane. The Staten Island location offers a menu of fresh pastries, warm breads, coffee, cakes and sandwiches. A second Paris Baguette is slated for the borough, though its location has not yet been revealed.

In the same shopping center, UrgentVet, a nationally recognized pet care clinic known for after-hours convenience, announced it will open its first NYC site this winter.

Also coming to the Oakwood shopping is one more blast from the past.

Postage signage shows that a Wendy’s is returning, taking up the space left vacant by Pizza Hut and and Friendly’s since 2012.

The strip mall is no stranger to the Wendy’s brand – the chain was located there for years in the spot where a CityMD Urgent Care now exists.