Ivins • Of all southwestern Utah’s restaurants, one would be hard-pressed to find one rated higher or loved more than Xetava, the eatery Greg and Rachel Federman opened 18 years ago.
Located in Ivins’ Kayenta Art Village, about 10 miles west of St. George, the restaurant and adjoining Rustic Cactus Bar draw rave reviews from locals and visitors, who throng the culinary hot spot and watering hole to sip Royden Lemonade and adult beverages, drink in the views of the red cliffs and sample fare that is often locally sourced and made from scratch.
“It’s the heart of our community,” said Ivins resident Kristin Hunt, a Xetava regular with her husband, John. “Whenever there’s an event, whenever there’s something to celebrate, there is no other place we would rather go than Xetava because it’s like family. It feels like home.”
Alas, starting Oct. 1, Xetava will be home to new owners. Matt and Nikki MacKay and Jason and Wendy Lewis, owners of Cliff Dining Pub and Cultivate Craft Kitchen restaurants in Draper, have bought the business from the Federmans.
After working long hours, six or seven days a week for nearly two decades, Greg said he and Rachel realized they would have to maintain that schedule to realize their vision for the restaurant rather than focus on family.
“I’ve got a 7-year-old and 10-year-old, and I am simply not willing to work seven days a week for the next five years,” Greg said. “Those are crucial years for me to be available for my kids, and I can’t miss that.”
(Greg Federman) Greg and Rachel Federman have sold Xetava.
Taking on a partner initially seemed like a possible solution. But after Greg met with Matt MacKay last May, both men discovered they not only shared a love for Xetava but also a vision for how a restaurant should look and be run.
Greg said he learned from their discussion that the MacKays, who own a second home in Ivins, had the passion and resources to make Xetava even better. So he and Rachel decided to sell the restaurant.
Letting go
“We are super proud of what we have accomplished,” Greg said, “but we also know our limits and when our time is up.”
Still, he acknowledged, letting go of a business that has been built from scratch isn’t easy.
When the Federmans bought the then-New Age gift shop that doubled as a coffee shop in 2006 and converted it into a restaurant, they started with a couple of toaster ovens, a waffle iron and one part-time employee. What they lacked in expertise they more than made up for in enthusiasm.
One early memorable event was an African-themed dinner party the Federmans threw in January that sold out in a day.
“We cooked everything at someone’s house and transported the food to the restaurant in the back of my pickup truck, and we had a percussion group play out on the patio, where we had heat lamps set up,” Greg recalled. “We were trying to figure things out, but the support from the community was unbelievable.”
Another memorable event was celebrating Greg and Rachel’s wedding at Xetava, teaching their “daughter how to make espresso, power-washing the floor with our kids, and teaching them how to run a business as they opened their own stand to sell snacks, lemonade and sunglasses during art festivals [at Kayenta].”
(Matt MacKay) A rainbow is seen over Red Mountain from the Xetava patio.
In 2011, the Federmans and Kayenta residents teamed up for a “Kitchen Uprising” fundraiser that netted $30,000 from area artists and diners. Proceeds from sales of donated art and other items enabled the Federmans to build a kitchen and add a dining room with a wooden floor to the eatery.
Years later, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced Xetava to shut down for seven weeks during the spring of 2020, it was the Federmans’ turn to give back to the community. Despite their own COVID-related financial woes, the couple launched a fundraiser that took in more than $28,000 they dished out to struggling restaurant workers all over the St. George area.
Since then, Xetava has rebounded and is thriving. The menu has expanded, and the wait staff now numbers 30. An adjoining tapas bar the couple opened in July 2023 has added to Xetava’s allure and growing fan base.
Despite Xetava’s success and status in southern Utah, Greg said he and Rachel expect the new owners to further burnish Xetava’s lustrous legacy.
“In the 18 years that we have run this place, Rachel and I have never felt like we have owned it,” Greg said. “It feels more like we have been stewards and are taking care of it. Now it’s time for another steward to take over.”
Keeping Xetava special
(Victoria Aspen) A collection of food at Xetava.
For his part, Matt MacKay is reassuring customers that as he and his partners put their own stamp on the business they have been fans of for years, they won’t stamp out what has made Xetava special.
“We’re not going to change things that don’t need fixing,” he said. “The Royden Lemonade, Caesar wraps, hummus dishes and [other menu favorites] will still be there.”
Xetava currently opens five days a week. Beginning Nov. 1, the new owners plan to keep the eatery open seven days a week and the Rusted Cactus every day but Sunday. They will also expand weekend brunches, which now start at 9 a.m. and end at noon, until 3 p.m. Xetava will also start accepting reservations.
Moreover, the Rusted Cactus will begin offering more entree-size meals in addition to tapas-size bites to make the bar more of a dinner destination and add more adult beverages to the menu.
“We are bringing in 30 wines and some spirits that people down there probably haven’t seen,” Matt said, “some rare bourbons, gins and other neat stuff.”
One staple Matt said should see little change is Xetava’s current “all-star” staff, all of whom have been invited to stay. The new owners are, however, importing a French-trained chef from Cultivate Craft Kitchen in Draper to head Xetava’s cooking chores. A general manager, who is currently at Cliff Dining Pub, will also join the team.
Hunt is sorry to see the Federmans go but is eager to see what the new owners bring to the table.
“Members of the community are anxious to meet the new owners,” she said, “and hopefully carry on with the Xetava spirit that is at the heart of our community.”
