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A boss of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the UK might have hit pizza saturation while expanding the franchise into chicken products has been removed after tensions with its board.

Executive Shake-Up

Rennie is exiting after just two years in the top role, and will be succeeded on an acting basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while the pizza giant searches for a new leader.

The outgoing executive, who was with the company for more than two decades, had attempted to pivot Britain's largest pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, remarking recently there was not “massive growth” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He observed poultry was the fastest-growing food category in the world.

Board Tensions

Reports indicate that there was disagreement between Rennie and the board over his strategy and direction, although the company's official statement said he was departing “as a joint decision”.

New Product Launch

In the autumn, the chain launched its chicken-focused product line – which Rennie described as a “significant new phase” for the company – and is piloting it in over 200 locations 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 fried chicken as complementary to its core pizza business.

Leadership Comment

Ian Bull, the company chair, commented: “We are confident that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and profitability in the main pizza segment. We are concentrating on identifying the right chief executive to lead the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Industry Challenges

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said sales dipped by 1.5% in the latest quarter. In the summer, it alerted that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it blamed economic uncertainty in the run-up to the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in six-month income.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Another major chain announced the closure of multiple locations a recently, after the company behind its outlets faced financial collapse.

Wellness Initiatives

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards better nutrition, Domino's has rolled out reduced-calorie options, such as its thin-crust selection of bakes below 400 calories as well as vegan and allergy-friendly options. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 calories. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171, while a personal has 909 kcal.

Interim Leadership

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since the recent past, and had a background at the betting firm William Hill. It is thought that she does not want to take on the top job long-term.

She commented: “We have a number of ongoing growth and operational projects that we will be focused on implementing at pace.”

She said these involved further work on the organization's logistics network and new item creation, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also without a long-term chief financial officer until March 16, when Andrea joins from the drinks company a well-known firm. In the meantime, Richard Snow is acting financial officer.