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A boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the UK might have reached peak pizza while expanding the chain into fried chicken has been replaced after tensions with its board.

Leadership Transition

Rennie is leaving after a brief tenure in leadership, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's seeks a long-term chief.

Rennie, who served at the company for a substantial period, had attempted to pivot the UK's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, stating recently there was not “massive growth” left in the UK's pizza market. He noted poultry was the most rapidly expanding menu item in the globe.

Board Friction

Reports indicate that there was disagreement between the CEO and the board over his approach and business vision, although Domino's official statement said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Brand Launch

In the autumn, Domino's unveiled its chicken-focused brand – which Rennie referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the group – and is piloting it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.

While the business is still planning to expand it across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as planned, it regards chicken products as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Comment

Ian Bull, the Domino's chair, said: “Directors think that there are a number of opportunities to enhance value and profitability in our primary operations. We are prioritizing identifying the ideal CEO to lead the systematic rollout of that expansion plan.”

Industry Difficulties

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said orders dipped by 1.5% in the third quarter. In August, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “grown more challenging” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the run-up to the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for weaker-than-expected sales and a significant fall in half-year profits.

Other pizza operators are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut disclosed the shutting of multiple locations a recently, after the firm behind its British operations fell into administration.

Wellness Initiatives

Adapting to consumer trends towards balanced diets, Domino's has introduced reduced-calorie options, such as its Thin & Crispy range of bakes below 400 kcals as well as vegan and gluten-free pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a small has 909 calories.

Acting Leadership

Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and had a background at the betting firm William Hill. It is understood that she prefers not to take on the chief executive role long-term.

Frampton stated: “We have a multiple active growth and efficiency programs that we will be concentrating on carrying out at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these included additional efforts on the company's procurement system and product development, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also lacking a permanent finance director until March 16, when Andy Andrea starts from the beverage producer C&C Group. In the meantime, Snow acts as acting financial officer.