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The head of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the United Kingdom might have reached maximum pizza demand while broadening the franchise into poultry items has been removed after tensions with its governing body.

Leadership Transition

Andrew Rennie is exiting after only 24 months in leadership, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a long-term chief.

The outgoing executive, who served at Domino's for more than two decades, had attempted to shift the UK's largest pizza takeaway chain towards fried chicken, stating earlier this month there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He said poultry was the fastest-growing protein in the international market.

Governance Tensions

It is understood that there was disagreement between Rennie and the board over his strategy and direction, although Domino's release said he was leaving “through mutual consent”.

Recent Product Launch

In September, Domino's launched its Chick 'N' Dip brand – which Rennie called a “bold new chapter” for the group – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the North West region and the province.

While the business is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as planned, it regards chicken products as a supplement for its primary pizza operations.

Leadership Comment

Ian Bull, the company chairman, commented: “The board believes that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing finding the suitable leader to oversee the careful implementation of that expansion plan.”

Industry Difficulties

In the latest update, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said sales dipped by 1.5% in the Q3. In August, it alerted that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the budget and rising wage costs for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in interim earnings.

Competitors are also experiencing difficulties. Pizza Hut revealed the shutting of 68 restaurants a last month, after the business behind its outlets entered insolvency.

Wellness Initiatives

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards better nutrition, the company has rolled out lower-calorie options, such as its light base selection of bakes below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and gluten-free pizzas. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A big margherita has over 2,100, while a small has 909 calories.

Interim Management

Frampton has been with Domino's since the recent past, and previously worked for the betting firm a well-known operator. It is believed that she is not seeking to take on the chief executive role long-term.

She said: “We have a multiple active expansion and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to executing at pace.”

She added these included ongoing development on the organization's supply chain and menu innovation, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino's is also lacking a full-time finance director until March 16, when Andrea starts from the drinks company C&C Group. Until then, Richard Snow serves as interim finance chief.