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Tim Burton-Themed Bar, SCRATCHbread Update, And More Intel

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Plus: A local Starbucks declares its support for Donald Trump

Salinas
Salinas
Salinas

— A Starbucks in the East Village appears to be supporting Donald Trump for president. EV Grieve notes that the building is owned by Jared Kushner, an avid Democrat who also happens to be married to Trump's daughter Ivanka.

— The team behind Stay Classy, the Will Ferrell-themed bar, has big expansion plans. They want to open in other cities and debut a Tim Burton-themed bar in the East Village in May.

— A chef who worked at Midtown restaurant Little Brazil — a Robert Sietsema favorite — is opening his own Brazilian restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. Samba, at 661 Ninth Ave., will open in April or May.

— Matt Tilden of beloved and shuttered Bed-Stuy bakery SCRATCHbread is raising money to help finish his cookbook, Eating Never Tasted So Good. Since closing, he's been driving across the country, "soaking up food culture" for the book," but Tilden is now in Colorado without enough money to get back to Brooklyn. In the last two days, he's raised more than $3,000.

— Italian restaurant Bread Nolita will be opening in a new location at 40 Kenmare St. next month with outdoor seating. They closed the one at 20 Spring St. last month but are still offering delivery to the neighborhood.

— The vendors at Essex Street Market are struggling as they wait for their new space to be developed. "Foot traffic has taken a nosedive, because everybody in the city thinks it’s already closed or is closing any day now," Rhonda Kave of Roni-Sue Chocolates tells Crain's. The new market won't be ready until 2018, and organizers hope a new, bigger marketing budget will help.

— Visana Lounge was busted for underage drinkers last month, an incident left owner and notorious former party promoter David Jaffee crying in the streets. Police tell DNAinfo that the night may be the "last straw" for the club, which neighbors have been complaining about for months. Visana faces 12 violations with the State Liquor Authority for being a drain on police resources, unlicensed security guards, and noise problems.

Chelsea Spanish restaurant Salinas is launching a new menu for the spring that reflects its growth over the last five years. Chef Luis Bollo will offer new dishes like a popcorn-crusted baby octopus with spicy squid ink aioli, flash-fried cauliflower with citrus yogurt, and a porkbelly with baby shrimp and kabocha squash.

Meet the franchise owner of Chick-fil-A's second Manhattan location, Al "Big Al" Puglisi. He's been running a location in Florida for nearly a decade and plans to hire more than 200 people for the new location near Rockefeller Center.

— And finally, here's how Marlow & Daughters butchers a whole pig: