In Conversation with ezCater’s Chris Puzzo: Driving AI-Powered Innovation in Enterprise Applications

In the latest episode of A Tale of Two AIs, Razi Raziuddin sat down with Chris Puzzo, Enterprise Architect at ezCater, to explore the evolving role of AI in enterprise applications, the intersection of engineering and business strategy, and the challenges of integrating AI-driven solutions into real-world workflows.

1. The High Stakes of Enterprise SaaS

Chris highlighted the unique challenges of applying AI in an enterprise setting. Unlike consumer applications, enterprise AI solutions must navigate scalability, compliance, reliability, and deeply embedded business processes. At ezCater, a food tech platform that connects restaurants with businesses who need food for their workplace, the stakes are high—getting food orders right isn’t just about convenience; it’s about ensuring a seamless experience for business success.

2. Bridging the Gap Between Engineering, AI, and Business

One of the key takeaways from the conversation was the importance of aligning engineering, AI development, and business objectives. Chris emphasized that AI teams can’t work in silos—true impact comes from embedding AI capabilities within cross-functional teams and ensuring product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders all speak a common language when evaluating AI opportunities.

3. From Experimentation to Execution: The Role of AI in Smart Ordering

Chris shared insights into ezCater’s Smart Ordering product, which leverages AI to simplify the complex task of ordering food for large groups—sometimes hundreds of people per day in a large organization. Smart Ordering uses data like dietary restrictions, order size,  cuisine preferences, and ezCater’s wealth of ordering history to intelligently recommend full orders to customers. By incorporating predictive AI, generative AI, and business logic, ezCater is creating a more intuitive ordering experience that reduces the cognitive load on customers.

4. Navigating the Generative AI Revolution

Chris reflected on the impact of generative AI on software development and how it is reshaping engineering workflows. While generative AI has lowered the barrier to AI adoption, it also introduces new challenges around accuracy, governance, and integration with structured data. He stressed the importance of building strong infrastructure and versioning practices to ensure AI outputs align with business needs.

5. AI Agents and the Future of Enterprise Architecture

Looking ahead to 2025, Chris is excited about the potential of AI agents—autonomous systems that can interact with enterprise platforms, automate complex workflows, and drive efficiencies. He highlighted how agents can package existing software capabilities into nanoservices to make those capabilities even easier and more accessible for customers. However, he cautioned that for AI agents to be successful, companies must invest in well-structured APIs, robust data governance, and clear decision-making frameworks to ensure AI-driven actions are reliable and interpretable.

Final Thoughts

Throughout the conversation, one theme stood out: AI adoption in enterprises isn’t just about technology—it’s about strategy, collaboration, and continuous learning. Chris’s approach at ezCater underscores the need for businesses to be agile, experiment frequently, and integrate AI in a way that enhances, not disrupts, existing operations.

For more insights into how AI is reshaping enterprise applications, tune in to the full episode of The Tale of Two AIs below: