KZ Provisioning makes sure Minnesota’s professional athletes, like Anthony Edwards, get proper nutrition so they can concentrate on their craft. (Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

It surprises Kaysen and Zimmern that their tailored approach hasn‘t caught on more widely in professional sports.

“There are a lot of teams that are still fed by large food service companies,” Zimmern said. Others are fed by private chefs that have been with the teams for generations.

Coming from the restaurant world, Zimmern says what they offer is different: It’s not just food, it’s hospitality.

“When on the road, a player needs to focus on their craft, their profession. It’s a business. They are away, and they may miss a 5-year-old kid’s birthday, or an anniversary with a spouse, or an athlete who used to play for us may come into the building and have just had a 4,000th goal or a 400th game in the NBA, and we celebrate those things with them,” Zimmern said. “We take care of recognizing those things with food baskets, or there may be a cake delivered to a family while a player is away. We take the hospitality component of this very seriously.”

Like many Minnesotans, Zimmern and Kaysen will be watching Saturday as the Wolves return to Target Center to continue their quest for a Western Conference championship. And Kaysen will be watching on TV like most everyone else.

“I’m not allowed to go to the games right now because they’ve won every one since I haven’t gone,” he said. “I’m too superstitious.”